Deaf woman tells court of alleged sexual abuse by younger brother

Michael McAleer

A woman has told a Central Criminal Court that she was sexually abused by her younger brother on several occasions.

The woman, who is deaf, was continuing her evidence on Monday in relation to a younger brother, to be referred to in reporting as Accused D.

Accused D (33) is accused of 22 counts of sexually abusing his older sister over 11 years on dates between 2002 and 2013. He has pleaded not guilty to 19 charges of rape and three counts of anal rape. Evidence has been heard that he is several years younger than the complainant.

The woman has already given evidence in relation to four other accused men – her three uncles and another brother - who she alleges sexually abused her.

Seven men, aged between 32 and 55, are on trial accused of a total of 98 counts of sexually abusing the complainant at various stages over 17 years between 1996 and 2013. They are her three uncles and four brothers

The men deny all the charges against them. None of the parties involved can be named for legal reasons.

The woman is giving her evidence via video-link and through two interpreters – an Irish Sign Language (ISL) interpreter and a deaf relay – as well as an intermediary who is a linguistics expert. There are also two interpreter monitoring teams present in court to ensure the woman is being interpreted correctly.

Charts and symbols are also being used to assist the woman to communicate, with the court hearing earlier in the trial that she has challenges communicating timelines in terms of calendars and sequence.

Ms Justice Caroline Biggs explained to the jury that the trial had not sat for several days because the complainant had been admitted to hospital.

The interpreters clarified some evidence the woman had previously given in relation to Accused D, telling the jury that the word “sex” was omitted.

They said the woman's full answer was “why are you always coming to me, me, me, sex, you never listen”.

Continuing her evidence, the woman told Roisin Lacey SC, prosecuting, that her brother sexually assaulted her at a particular location.

She said she told him no. When asked how her body was feeling, she replied “painful and rape”.

The woman said she went to an aunt's house when it was finished. She said she didn't tell anyone what had happened.

The woman said she was 17 when this incident happened.

She also outlined another occasion when she said this brother sexually assaulted her again. She said she didn't want it to happen and that she told no one about it.

She said it was always on a Saturday. “He’d come over. He was too young. What are you doing? You are only 13.”

She continued: “Risky, you are 13, you are very young.”

The woman said she was 17 when her brother first sexually assaulted her at this location and that she was 21 when it happened for the last time.

She then gave evidence that her brother sexually assaulted her at another place on two occasions when she was aged between 17 and 21.

Describing one of these incidents, she said she was annoyed, that her brother “wanted sex” and that she said no. She said there was a “text saying where’s the condom, he said I don’t have”.

The interpreters told the court the woman was also using a sign for frustration.

She said “thank God” her brother got a girlfriend. “There was no more. Thank God, it was finished.”

The trial, which is set down for four months, continues before an extended jury panel of 15.