Creche worker pleads not guilty to sexual assault charges

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

A creche worker has pleaded not guilty to 23 counts of sexually assaulting four girls. The proceedings at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court were reported on 24 February 2020.

The alleged offences took place between February 2015 and December 2016, when the girls were aged between five and eight. They were said to have occurred in a Leinster creche, including an after-school room and a bathroom, and on a creche bus.

The court heard that eight counts related to one complainant. The alleged assaults against her were said to have happened in an upstairs bathroom. The creche owner agreed with defence counsel that it seemed unlikely the man could repeatedly have assaulted her there without anyone noticing. She also agreed she would expect someone to notice if he regularly took an after-school child to the toilet; the trial heard that creche policy was for those children to go to the toilet by themselves.

The court heard that the man had raised concerns with management about children being too physically close to him. Defence counsel said he was uncomfortable with children sitting on his knees because it made him vulnerable to complaints. A written policy advising workers not to allow children to sit on their knees was issued in April 2015 after he raised his concerns.

A September 2014 performance appraisal described the man's relationship with the children as excellent. The owner agreed with defence counsel that this was a positive comment. The trial was continuing.