Courts / Ireland / Report

Victim who reported abuse 18 years ago says justice system failed him

Summary

A man who was sexually abused as a boy says the Irish justice system failed him after he first reported the abuse 18 years ago. The defendant, the husband of the victim's aunt, was previously convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of sexually assaulting the victim between March 1996 and May 1997, and of two charges of anal rape of the victim's younger brother between February 2000 and June 2001. The brothers, aged eight and six‑seven at the time, reported abuse in 2005 and 2016, but an investigating Garda told the prosecutor that the cases could not proceed to trial due to insufficient evidence. The victim's impact statements describe the abuse, the failure of the system, and the emotional toll. The defendant will be sentenced later this month, with the court adjourned to consider the case until 16 October.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Victim who reported abuse 18 years ago says justice system failed him. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• March 1996 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 1997 Hearing Or Sentence
• February 2000 Hearing Or Sentence
• June 2001 Hearing Or Sentence
• October 16 Adjournment
• 2023-10-04 Publication

Why: Counsel said the case warrants a prison term of between 10 and 15 years due to the victims' vulnerability because of their ages at the time of the offence and the fact that the man was a "trusted authority figure" and they were under his care. CNI source report

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence

Read the original CNI report