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Neighbour tells Munster abuse trial she heard children falling down stairs

Summary

A neighbour gave evidence in a Central Criminal Court child‑abuse trial in Munster, describing constant screaming, roaring and crying from children in the accused parents' house. She said she heard the children fall down the stairs several times and that the noise persisted day and night. The neighbour kept diaries after contacting authorities, noting incidents such as a boy dangling from a window, another urinating on a garden shed, and children playing unsupervised on the street. She reported the father administering medicine from a syringe to lined‑up children in the garden, usually in the early evening. The trial involves six family members accused of abuse and neglect between 2014 and 2016; all defendants have denied the charges. The case is ongoing, with the trial set to resume on Monday.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Neighbour tells Munster abuse trial she heard children falling down stairs. Charges or matters: 34 counts including rape, anal rape, oral rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation and wilfully neglecting a child at locations in Munster on unknown dates between August 18, 2014 and April 28, 2016; 25 counts including sexual assault, sexual exploitation and wilfully neglecting a child at locations in Munster on unknown dates between August 18, 2014 and April 28, 2016; wilfully neglecting a further two children at a location in Munster on unknown dates between August 18, 2014 and April 28. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• August 18, 2014 Incident
• April 28, 2016 Incident
• 2014 and 2016 Other
• Christmas morning Other
• 2021-06-18 Publication

Why: The trial finished early today due to repeated difficulties with the sound system in the court, which is sitting at Croke Park in order to facilitate social distancing. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Read the original CNI report