Man (70s) who abused neighbouring children 40 years ago jailed for over 5 years

Eimear Dodd

A man who sexually abused two young children over 40 years ago has been jailed for five and a half years.

The 78-year-old man pleaded guilty to the attempted rape of a girl and the indecent assault of a boy on dates between 1976 and 1980.

The girl was around five or six years old when the man first sexually abused her. The boy was aged between six and 11 at the time of the man's offending. They are siblings and lived close to the man, who was then between 27 and 32.

The man sexually abused the girl for the first time in a shed, where he made her stand on an oil drum.

Three further incidents took place, which were similar in nature. The girl was confused, afraid and did not understand what was happening, the court heard.

Her brother told gardaí that the man started to sexually abuse him when he was six, with the final incident occurring when he was aged around 10 or 11.

In the first incident, the man made the boy stand on a metal drum. During the sexual assault, the man bit down through the boy's clothing onto his shoulder.

The boy didn't understand what was happening. The court heard there were three or four further incidents.

When interviewed, the man accepted that he'd sexually assaulted both children. He has one previous conviction for the sexual assault of his five-year-old grand-niece for which he received a two-year fully suspended sentence.

The investigating garda agreed with Garret Baker SC, defending, that his client's previous conviction was for a single incident, which occurred decades after the offending in this case.

It was further accepted that the man expressed remorse, and acknowledged his wrongdoing when interviewed by gardaí.

The garda also agreed that the man has limited literary skills, several medical issues and appears to have experienced some cognitive decline since entering his guilty pleas.

In their impact statement, both victims said the defendant was trusted by their parents and as children, they didn't understand what was happening.

The woman said the effects of the abuse have “travelled with me all my life”, outlining suffering with anxiety, disturbed sleep and night terrors.

She said “at times, I was a very lost soul” and described experiencing trust issues, particularly with men. She said every child deserves to feel safe and it is positive that people can come forward with their stories.

Her brother said the man's actions “do not define me”, but noted they have had an effect on his life and those of his wife and children.

He also spoke of feelings of anxiety, noting that he continues to live in the same area as the man.

He said the abuse has “stayed with me to this day” and he will have to live with it for the rest of his life.

Several medical reports were presented to the court, including a report from a forensic psychologist. This report outlined that the accused has limited intellectual ability. A medical report highlighted chronic medical conditions, along with diabetes and a formal diagnosis of dementia.

Mr Baker said a probation report was also before the court, and that during his interview with the probation officer, the accused made admissions regarding his offending. He also said that he knew his actions were wrong and that he hurt the victims.

Counsel said, “there are extraordinary circumstances in this case,” and noted that it is “a difficult case”. He asked the court to give as much credit as possible for the guilty plea, the multiple admissions made by his client, as well as his medical conditions.

Sentencing the man on Monday, Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo said there was a breach of trust and degradation in the offending, involving young children. He noted that the man's diagnosis of dementia means a period of incarceration will be harder for him.

Taking into account other mitigating factors, including the man's guilty plea, he set a headline sentence of seven years which he reduced to five and a half years.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.