Courts / Limerick / Report
Man jailed for indecent assault in the 1970s gets 15 years for raping his niece
Summary
In 2015, Joseph Hogan, aged 61, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping his seven‑year‑old niece, Sonya Stokes, between 1984 and 1988. The Central Criminal Court convicted him of one count of attempted rape, three counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault. Hogan had previously been jailed in 1973 for six months for an indecent assault and had further convictions in 1974, 1995, 1998 and 2013 for related offences. The judge, Mr Justice Carney, found no mitigating factors such as remorse or good character and imposed concurrent sentences of 10 years for the attempted rape and eight years for the sexual assault counts, totaling 15 years. A victim impact statement described the lasting trauma inflicted on Stokes, who chose to waive her anonymity to speak publicly about the abuse. The sentence included 18 months of post‑release supervision. Joseph Hogan pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man jailed for indecent assault in the 1970s gets 15 years for raping his niece. Charges or matters: the counts. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- December 1984 Incident
- December 1988 Incident
- March 2013 Other
- 1995 and 1998 Incident
- 2007 and 2009 Incident
- 2015-03-09 Publication
Why: Speaking outside the court, and asked how she felt about the 15 year sentence handed down to Hogan, Ms Stokes said: "It feels great because now I know that no other child will actually be raped or abused by this man. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: the counts (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; The court heard that in 1973 Hogan was jailed here for six months for an indecent assault of a similar nature. Speaking outside the court, and asked how she felt about the 15 year sentence handed down to Hogan, Ms Stokes said: "It feels great because now I know that no other child will actually be raped or abused by this man.
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