John Joe Kiernan given suspended sentence for rape and abuse

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

John Joe Kiernan was given an eight-year suspended sentence for indecently assaulting two children and raping one of them. The proceedings were reported on 22 October 2018.

Kiernan pleaded guilty to 11 sample counts of indecent assault and one count of rape. The offences took place between 1958 and 1964.

Mr Justice Michael White said a custodial sentence was not appropriate. He said the court would have imposed a substantial custodial sentence had Kiernan been younger and in better health. Kiernan, then 86, was in chronic ill-health and confined to his home.

The judge said he accepted that Kiernan was remorseful. He said Kiernan had initially tried to minimise the seriousness of the offences but was now aware of how serious they were.