Courts / Donegal / Report
Woman raped by father as child hopes case will give others courage to tell their story
Summary
A 22-year-old woman from Buncrana, County Donegal, has delivered a powerful victim impact statement at the Central Criminal Court following her father's conviction on charges of rape and sexual assault. Michael Carter, aged 55, was found guilty last month of one count of rape and 25 counts of sexual assault against his daughter between 2010 and 2014, when she was aged nine to twelve years old. During sentencing proceedings, the woman described her journey from shame and isolation to acceptance and survival. She expressed hope that her decision to waive anonymity would encourage others in similar circumstances to come forward. Carter maintains his innocence and does not accept the jury verdict. Ms Justice Karen O'Connor adjourned the case to determine the final sentence, with the Director of Public Prosecutions recommending a headline sentence of ten to fifteen years due to the age disparity, breach of trust, and pattern of offending.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman raped by father as child hopes case will give others courage to tell their story. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- June 2010 Adjournment
- June 2014 Adjournment
- December 2018 Incident
- September 2020 Incident
- 2023-07-24 Publication
Why: She said it seemed easier "because having to accept the fact that my father chose to do this to me is too hard, too painful, too difficult to understand". CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Ms Justice Karen O'Connor adjourned the case to tomorrow, when she will finalise the sentence.; Ms Justice Karen O'Connor adjourned the case to tomorrow, when she will finalise the sentence.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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