Courts / Ireland / Report

Girl tells family abuse trial she might be mistaken about grandmother

Summary

During a Central Criminal Court hearing, a 12‑year‑old girl testified that she may have misidentified the 32‑year‑old accused woman as the one who touched her privates. She also admitted she might have made a similar mistake regarding her grandmother, saying she could not recall the grandmother doing anything. The girl had previously given evidence via recorded Garda interviews that her parents, grandmother, aunts, uncles and other relatives had sexually abused her. She stated that she had written a list of "all the things they did to me" between her first and second interviews and that she had been given cough medicine by her father. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Paul McDermott, continues tomorrow with a jury. The accused, including the girl's parents, grandmother and other relatives, have pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of sexual assault, exploitation and wilfully neglecting children.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Girl tells family abuse trial she might be mistaken about grandmother. Charges or matters: four counts, including sexual assault and sexual exploitation at locations in Munster on unknown dates between August 18, 2014 and April 28, 2016; three counts of sexually assaulting the girl by touching her genitals at locations in Munster on unknown dates between August 18, 2014 and April 28, 2016. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• August 18, 2014 Incident
• April 28, 2016 Incident
• August 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
• April 2016 Other
• Christmas Other
• 2021-06-01 Publication

Why: The girl replied yes, because she was now thinking back and she cannot actually remember her grandmother doing anything. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

Read the original CNI report