Courts / Dublin / Report

10 years for prolonged abuse of niece

Summary

A 70-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, has been sentenced to ten years in prison for the sexual abuse of his step-daughter, which began before her First Holy Communion. The man was convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of 72 counts of indecent assault, which occurred between October 31, 1973, and August 24, 1979. Judge Elma Sheahan noted the severe psychological impact on the victim, who stated in a victim impact statement that the abuse had taken away her childhood and left her scarred forever. The judge imposed consecutive sentences of 14 years on a number of counts before setting a final sentence of ten years. She acknowledged the man's good work history and family life in recent years as mitigating factors. The abuse, which included multiple forms of sexual contact, ended when the victim was around 13 years old. The accused was in a long-term relationship with the victim's mother and was effectively her step-father. His only other previous convictions are for drunk driving.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 10 years for prolonged abuse of niece. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

• October 31, 1973 Incident
• August 24, 1979 Incident
• 2019-05-03 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Sexual Offences Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report