Whelan appeal dismissed over grandfather abuse claim

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

Whelan's appeal over an alleged child sexual abuse claim was dismissed by the Supreme Court, reported on 18 December 2014. The proceedings concerned allegations against her grandfather, but the court made no finding on their truth.

The defendant had died before the appeal, and his wife—identified as the principal witness—was unavailable. Hardiman J held that the case had passed beyond the reach of fair litigation because one side could not be adequately argued, dismissing the appeal on grounds of mutuality and fairness.