Courts / Dublin / Report

Abuser jailed for indecent assault on niece over 30 years ago

Date
2026-01-26

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

A 63‑year‑old man was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for three counts of indecent assault on his niece, who was aged five to six at the time, between February 1988 and December 1990 in her grandmother's home where the accused also lived. The judge, Justice Karen O'Connor, praised the victim for her impact statement, which she said would help other survivors find their voices. The man pleaded not guilty but was convicted by a jury. He has no prior convictions, a long work history and has not been in contact with Gardaí in 35 years, factors the judge cited as mitigating. He will be placed on the sex offenders' register. The sentence was reduced from a headline three years to two years, back‑dated to the date he entered custody. No expression of remorse was noted, and the Probation Service will not be involved. The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Abuser jailed for indecent assault on niece over 30 years ago. Charges or matters: a number of offences but was convicted by a jury, following a trial last year, on three charges of indecent assault. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

February 1988 Incident
December 1990 Incident
2026-01-26 Publication

Why: The judge said teenagers don't have the voice or even the understanding of what happened to them as a child and it is very common for them to become angry because they have no way of expressing the hurt that they are feeling. CNI source report