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Victim's bravery commended as father who raped and abused her from age three gets 11.5 years
Summary
Patrick Honan, 69, was sentenced to 13 years' custody with 18 months suspended for 48 counts of rape and indecent assault against his daughter Noreen Honan, aged 3½ to 16, between 1977 and 1989 at their family home in Doonbeg, Co Clare. The judge, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford, praised Ms Honan's dignified conduct and bravery, noting the prolonged abuse, breach of trust and age disparity. Honan had previously applied to keep his identity confidential, citing potential harm to his wider family, but the court rejected this. The sentence was back‑dated to the date of his custody entry. The judge also directed that Honan must not approach Ms Honan now or in the future. The unnamed accused was found guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Victim's bravery commended as father who raped and abused her from age three gets 11.5 years. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- July 2020 Incident
- 1977 and 1989 Incident
- 2024-04-26 Publication
Why: "I have suffered mentally and physically all my life because of the abuse," she said, adding that it was only in 2017 that she became strong enough "to face what he did" to her "head on". CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Photo: Collins) By Eimear Dodd A Clare man who subjected his daughter to years of rape and sexual abuse starting from when she was three years old has been jailed for 11.5 years. Ms Justice Lankford today imposed a 13-year custodial sentence with the final 18 months suspended.
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