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Woman and partner appeal convictions for rape and abuse of girl (5) and boy (3)
Summary
In a 2024 appeal, a 41‑year‑old woman and her 53‑year‑old partner, jailed for a combined 33 years for raping and sexually abusing their five‑year‑old daughter and three‑and‑a‑half‑year‑old son, argued that video interviews of the children should not have been admitted to the jury. The couple had denied multiple offences, including rape, oral rape, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, reckless endangerment and false imprisonment, committed at two locations in Connacht between October 2012 and September 2014. Both were found guilty at the Central Criminal Court in November 2022. The appeal, presented by Michael Lynn SC for the man and Dominic McGinn SC for the woman, focused on alleged unfairness due to the eight‑year delay between the children's 2016 specialist Gardaí interviews and the 2022 trial, the use of leading or suggestive questions, and the lack of opportunity to assess the children's competence as witnesses.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman and partner appeal convictions for rape and abuse of girl (5) and boy (3). Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- October 2012 Incident
- September 2014 Incident
- November 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- October 2022 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-04-11 Publication
Why: The two cannot be named in order to protect the identities of the two children. CNI source report
Case subjects
Appellant
Outcome: A woman and her partner jailed for a combined 33 years for the rape and sexual abuse of her five-year-old daughter and three-and-a-half-year-old son have appealed their convictions arguing that video interviews of the children should not have been put before the jury. He handed the man a 19-year sentence and imposed a 14-year sentence on the woman.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
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