Courts / Waterford / Report

Foster mother sought counselling after child left, abuse trial hears

Date
2016-04-29

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Waterford

Summary

During the trial, a foster mother of a 12‑year‑old boy who had been taken into care at eight and moved to her home in March 2012, explained that she had to seek counselling after the child left her home because of the "horrendous stuff" she had to listen to. She said the boy's sexualised behaviour had increased over time, leading to therapy in 2013. The boy had alleged that his father raped him, sexually abused him with a hot poker and forced him to have sex with his mother from about age six. The father is also alleged to have filmed some incidents, held a gun to the boy's head and locked him in a box. The parents face 82 abuse charges between 2007 and 2011, with both pleading not guilty to multiple counts of sexual exploitation, assault and child cruelty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Foster mother sought counselling after child left, abuse trial hears. Charges or matters: 16 counts each of sexual exploitation and one charge each of child cruelty. Procedural stage: trial

When:

March 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
November 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
2007 and 2011 Incident
2016-04-29 Publication

Why: A foster parent of a child who was allegedly raped by his father and forced to have sex with his mother has told a trial that she had to go for counselling after the child left her home because of "the horrendous stuff" she listened to. CNI source report