Court of Appeal quashes mother’s convictions over interviews it found fundamentally unfair

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Court of Appeal quashed a mother’s convictions for four sexual assaults and child neglect, ruling that she should have been acquitted because the only evidence against her was admissions made in extraordinary circumstances. The Director of Public Prosecutions did not oppose her appeal and said no retrial would be sought if the convictions were quashed.

The court found that interviews conducted by a psychologist and polygrapher retained by Tusla were fundamentally unfair, citing an extreme imbalance of power and the danger that the questioning could produce untrue admissions. The woman had been convicted after a retrial in July 2024 and sentenced to eight years, with the final two years suspended. She had remained on bail pending her appeal.