Courts / Ireland / Report

Criminal 'cruelly betrayed' brother and sister with rape and abuse in foster care

Summary

A 37‑year‑old man was jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to multiple counts of rape and sexual assault against a brother and sister who were in foster care with him. The accused, aged 14‑17 at the time of the offences, abused the siblings, aged 9‑13, between 2002 and 2004 while they were in the same foster home. He also pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of both victims. The abuse ended when he turned 18 and left the home. He had 21 prior convictions. The judge set a headline sentence of 13 years, reduced to ten years with a one‑year suspension for three years on strict conditions, and ordered five years of post‑release supervision. The siblings did not wish their impact statements to be read in open court. The accused expressed regret and hopes the victims can move on. The case was prosecuted by John Fitzgerald SC and defended by Ronan Munro SC.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Criminal 'cruelly betrayed' brother and sister with rape and abuse in foster care. Charges or matters: multiple counts of oral and anal rape and sexual assault of the boy; as well as rape and oral rape of his sister on dates between 2002 and 2004; sexual exploitation of both victims. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• 2002 and 2004 Incident
• 2024-04-16 Publication

Why: In order to encourage rehabilitation, he suspended the final year for three years on strict conditions. CNI source report

Case subjects

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

Read the original CNI report