Courts / Ireland / Report

Munster abuse trial: children gave harrowing account of their lives

Summary

In a 10‑week Central Criminal Court trial, five members of a Munster family were charged with sexually abusing and neglecting their children. The defendants, ranging in age from 27 to 56, included the parents, an aunt and uncles. They were accused of sexually abusing three older children between 2014 and 2016, and of wilfully neglecting five children, who were removed from the home in 2016. The trial heard testimony from the children, social workers, foster parents, teachers, medical professionals and Gardaí. The prosecution alleged that the parents, a sister, a husband and a brother also participated in the abuse. The defence challenged the credibility of the children's statements and the adequacy of the evidence, arguing that the family had been under constant scrutiny by social services. The case involved 78 counts against the five defendants, each treated as a separate case. The trial was held in Croke Park with an enlarged jury of 15.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Munster abuse trial: children gave harrowing account of their lives. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• April 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
• October 2016 Incident
• August 2017 Incident
• March 2018 Incident
• 2014 and 2016 Incident
• 2021-08-06 Publication

Why: He said the children had made strong and consistent allegations against the accused persons and he said the idea that the children could have made up the allegations in order to escape to a better life was "extraordinary". CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial

Read the original CNI report