23-year-old jailed for rape and abuse of younger cousins

A 23-year-old man from Longford has been sentenced to three years imprisonment at the Central Criminal Court following his conviction for the rape and sexual assault of his younger cousins. The defendant was found guilty of orally raping his cousin when she was aged eight or nine, and of sexually assaulting her younger sister when she was between seven and eight years old. The offences occurred between 2016 and 2021, when the defendant was between 14 and 18 years of age. The first victim, now 16, detailed the profound psychological impact of the abuse, including night terrors and anxiety. The second victim, now 12, said she initially remained silent about the assault before coming forward after her sister disclosed her own experience. In sentencing, Mr Justice Paul Burns acknowledged the defendant's age at the time of the offences and reduced the headline sentence accordingly. The final 12 months of the three-year sentence on the rape charge are suspended, subject to probation supervision for three years following release.