Thomas Collins jailed for rape and assault of his cousins

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

Thomas Collins was jailed for 12 and a half years, with the final year suspended, for indecent assault, attempted rape and rape at the Central Criminal Court on 17 December 2024.

The offences involved three cousins and took place between 1978 and 1992 in and around two family homes. Collins pleaded guilty to 21 sample counts.

The judge said two of the victims had been pressurised by a garda sergeant to withdraw their complaints in 1997. They complained again in 2002, but the DPP directed that Collins not be prosecuted despite his admissions.

Collins was charged in 2023 and entered guilty pleas in 2024. The judge said the case should have been dealt with decades earlier.