Courts / Dublin / Report

Ex-manager of Daughters of Charity centre jailed for abusing nephew

Summary

Paul Craven, 55, a former manager of Daughters of Charity family centres, was sentenced to a global term of four years in prison for sexually abusing his nephew, Alan Jenkins, between 1989 and 1999. Judge Sinéad Ní Chúlacháin at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court convicted Craven of 11 counts, including sexual assault and indecent assault. The judge noted that Craven breached the trust of a vulnerable boy aged six or seven, using his position as a youth worker to groom and isolate the victim. Aggravating factors included the abuse occurring in the victim's home and the significant age disparity. Although Craven received glowing references and had no previous convictions, the judge highlighted that he did not accept guilt or express remorse. Mr Jenkins, who waived his anonymity, described the abuse as taking away his childhood and criticized a previous Tusla investigation that found his allegations unfounded. He stated that Craven continued working with vulnerable children until 2022. Defence counsel Kathleen Leader SC argued that the offences were not at the top of the scale and highlighted Craven's long history in youth work. Craven was remanded on bail following a previous hearing to sign contracts for a house purchase, which defence counsel confirmed had been completed. The matter was adjourned for the purpose of this bail arrangement prior to the final sentencing.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Ex-manager of Daughters of Charity centre jailed for abusing nephew. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

• 1989 and 1999 Incident
• 2009 and 2022 Other
• 2025-02-11 Publication

Why: Craven was remanded on bail following a previous hearing in order to sign contracts as part of a house purchase. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report