Courts / Kildare / Report
'May you be haunted like I have been': victim addresses abuser in statement
Summary
In a victim impact statement read to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a woman who was sexually abused by her cousin when she was eight years old addressed the 40‑year‑old defendant, telling him: "May you never be free. May you be haunted like I have been." The defendant had pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault committed in 1999 when he was 15 and the victim was eight. He was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended on strict conditions. The court noted the repeated nature of the offences, the victim's ongoing suffering, and the defendant's guilty plea, expressions of remorse, lack of prior convictions and good work history. The victim described the abuse as not innocent curiosity, detailing the impact on her trust, mental health and life trajectory. The defendant was instructed to apologise, and the court considered his family situation as context rather than excuse.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'May you be haunted like I have been': victim addresses abuser in statement. Charges or matters: one count of sexual assault at an address in Co Kildare during the summer of 1999. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- August 1999 Incident
- 2025-03-26 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of sexual assault at an address in Co Kildare during the summer of 1999 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Nolan said the repeated nature of the offending troubled the court, which had to consider if the man's behaviour was "so reprehensible even taking into account his age at that time" that a custodial sentence had to be imposed. He said the court had concluded that a custodial sentence was required and handed the man a sentence of three years with the final two years suspended on strict conditions.
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