Courts / Ireland / Report

Man jailed for 10 years for rape and indecent assault of his niece

Summary

A 67‑year‑old man was sentenced to ten years in prison for raping and indecently assaulting his niece between 1986 and 1988. The Central Criminal Court heard that the abuse began when the niece was wearing her First Holy Communion dress. The man first touched her outside her underwear in 1986, then inside her underwear the following summer, and finally raped her in 1988. He pleaded not guilty to eight counts of indecent assault and three counts of rape, but was convicted on all eleven counts. Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan imposed a ten‑year sentence for the rape counts and five‑ and six‑year sentences for the indecent assault counts, all to run concurrently. The victim, now in her 30s, described the abuse as "far‑reaching and devastating," noting feelings of helplessness, shame, and ongoing trauma. The defendant, defended by Paul Greene SC, was described as a hard‑working family man with no prior convictions.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man jailed for 10 years for rape and indecent assault of his niece. Charges or matters: eight counts of indecently assaulting and three counts of raping the girl between 1986 and 1988. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

• 1986 and 1988 Incident
• 2015-10-23 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

Read the original CNI report