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'I refuse to remain silent anymore,' victim tells court as man jailed for repeated rapes
Summary
Noel O'Neill (30) was convicted of three counts of orally raping a child when she was between six and 12 years old. The abuse occurred at his former family home in Edenderry, Co Offaly, and involved a game called 'guess the finger' where he would place his penis in the child's mouth. The victim, now 19, waived her anonymity and described the abuse as having taken her innocence and caused her PTSD. She stated that O'Neill's refusal to acknowledge the verdict broke her further and that the court process retraumatized her. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon set a headline sentence of 11 years but reduced it to 10 years considering mitigating factors such as O'Neill's lack of previous convictions and his role as a sole provider. O'Neill has not acknowledged the verdict and has never offered an apology. The victim expressed a desire to raise awareness and support other abuse victims. Noel O'Neill pleaded not guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'I refuse to remain silent anymore,' victim tells court as man jailed for repeated rapes. Charges or matters: the three offences, which were committed at his former family home in Edenderry, Co Offaly; the three offences after a trial in January. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- October 2012 Incident
- October 2018 Incident
- 2026-06-15 Publication
Why: "When I was 17, I tried to take my life nearly every second week but as I wasn't under paediatrics because I was over 16 and the adult ward couldn't take me. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: the three offences, which were committed at his former family home in Edenderry, Co Offaly; the three offences after a trial in January (Proven)
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; At a sentence hearing today, Ms Justice Eileen Creedon noted the impact of the abuse on the victim, including a diagnosis of PTSD, before setting a headline sentence of 11 years.
Places mentioned
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