Courts / Dublin / Report

Father who believed daughter was possessed fails in bid to overturn 'savage' assault conviction

Date
2023-06-12

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

A 41‑year‑old father from North Africa, who claimed his nine‑year‑old daughter was possessed by a jinn, was convicted of two counts of assault causing serious harm and three counts of child cruelty after a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The girl, now unable to walk, talk or sit independently, suffered repeated beatings, burns, choking and other abuse at the hands of both parents. The father argued he was less culpable because he was at work during the most damaging assault, but the Court of Appeal dismissed his conviction appeal and left a reserved judgement on his sentence appeal. The court upheld the conviction, noting the father's participation in the daily violence and the joint enterprise with the mother. The case highlighted the severity of the abuse and the court's refusal to accept the father's defence of possession. The unnamed appellant pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Father who believed daughter was possessed fails in bid to overturn 'savage' assault conviction. Charges or matters: the offending but still received a 33 per cent sentence reduction for what was "slim enough" mitigation. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

October 2021 Incident
June 28 Incident
July 2, 2019 Incident
12 March Other
2023-06-12 Publication

Why: The man (41), who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his daughter, claimed through his legal team that he was less culpable because he was at work for the most damaging assault carried out by his wife. CNI source report