Courts / Limerick / Report
'Easier for parents to believe I'm a liar than believe oldest son is rapist,' victim tells court
Summary
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 17 January 2022, a 37‑year‑old man from County Limerick, whose brother is unnamed to protect anonymity, told the court that his parents would rather believe he was lying than accept that their eldest son was a paedophile rapist. He had been sexually abused by his older brother, aged 14 to 18, between 1998 and 2002, including at the family home. The victim had kept the abuse secret for 18 years, sharing it with his father in 2015 and with Gardaí in early 2016, but his parents only supported him if he kept the matter private. He said the family blamed him, sided with his brother, and forced him out of the home. He described ongoing mental health struggles, including depression, insomnia, PTSD and suicidal thoughts, and stated that no sentence would change his loss of 18 years of life. The unnamed man was found guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Easier for parents to believe I'm a liar than believe oldest son is rapist,' victim tells court. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- Monday, January 24 Adjournment
- 1998 and 2002 Incident
- 2022-01-17 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; He said he has constant nightmares and has struggled with depression, insomnia, PTSD and suicidal thoughts. "There's no happy ending for me," he said, adding no matter what sentence his brother receives, it will change nothing for him. "I lost 18 years of my life," he said. "It's no longer justice I seek.; The judge adjourned the case for finalisation on Monday, January 24.
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