Courts / Ireland / Report
'I hope I give other victims the courage to let their voices be heard,' girl raped by grandfather tells court
Summary
A 17‑year‑old girl who was raped and abused for many years by her 79‑year‑old grandfather told a court that she hopes her case will help other victims of sexual violence. The grandfather was jailed for 14 years for multiple counts of sexual assault against his three grandchildren at two locations in Connacht. He pleaded guilty to assaulting the three girls when they were aged between five and 14, but denied raping the oldest girl. The jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on six counts of raping the child between September 2014 and September 2018. The victim, aged between 10 and 14 at the time, described how the abuse destroyed her childhood and how she felt "dirty". She said that letting go of the secret was a relief and that she hopes to give other victims the courage to speak.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'I hope I give other victims the courage to let their voices be heard,' girl raped by grandfather tells court. Charges or matters: sexual assaulting the three girls when they were aged as young as between five and 14 years old. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- September 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- November 2019 Other
- 2022-06-20 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: sexual assaulting the three girls when they were aged as young as between five and 14 years old (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: The 79-year-old man was today jailed for 14 years, having been before the Central Criminal Court for multiple counts of sexual assaults against his three grandchildren at two locations in Connacht. For the sexual assaults she imposed sentences of five years, to run consecutively.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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