Courts / Dublin / Report

Suspended sentence for sexually assaulting four cousins

Summary

In July 2018, a 33‑year‑old Dublin man pleaded guilty to six charges of sexual assault against four of his young female cousins, with offences occurring between 2000 and 2006. The victims, now in their twenties, were aged four to eight at the time of the assaults. They testified that the family, once close, was torn apart by the revelations. The man, who had no prior convictions, admitted the acts after police first met the women. Judge Sinead Ní Chúlacháin imposed a four‑year suspended sentence, with jail terms ranging from one to four years for each charge, but suspended all of them. She noted his moderate risk of re‑offending and his limited understanding of the impact on his victims. The sentence was accompanied by a psychological report highlighting his weaknesses in reasoning and empathy. The judge emphasised that no penalty could restore the victims' lost innocence, trust or sense of security.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Suspended sentence for sexually assaulting four cousins. Charges or matters: six charges of sexual assault which involved four of his cousins on unknown dates between 2000 and 2006 at a location in Dublin city; his cousins as it was an acknowledgement that he had done wrong and they were to be fully believed. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• July 2018 Incident
• December 2014 Incident
• 2000 and 2006 Incident
• 2019-07-29 Publication

Why: The 33-year-old male, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his victims, had pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in July 2018 to six charges of sexual assault which involved four of his cousins on unknown dates between 2000 and 2006 at a location in Dublin city. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report