*The case was heard in the Central Criminal Court on Monday.
A FATHER subjected his daughter to repeated sexual abuse starting when she was aged just three and it continued for over twelve years, a court has heard.
By Eimear Dodd
The 69-year-old man, who can’t be named for legal reasons, was found guilty following a Central Criminal Court trial of a total of 48 sample counts including 25 of rape and 23 of indecent assault.
The abuse took place at the family home between 1977 and 1989 when the victim was aged between three and a half and 16.
The man does not accept the verdicts of the jury and maintains his innocence, the court was told.
After hearing facts in Court, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford adjourned the case until April 26 for finalisation.
A local garda told Dean Kelly SC, prosecuting, that the woman recalls the first incident took place when she was approximately three and a half years old.
She said her father brought her upstairs while her mother was out and put her hand on his penis. He then undressed her and bounced her on top of him, during which he raped her.
The abuse continued frequently and included the digital penetration of her vagina, forced kissing, oral sex and rape.
When she began to develop breasts, he would touch them as he passed her in the house. The abuse came to an end when she was 16.
The woman made a complaint to Gardaí in 2019. The man was arrested in July 2020 and answered some questions during interview, but denied the allegations.
The woman’s victim impact statement was read to the court by Mr Kelly. She said her father “stole” her childhood and she wonders what life might have been like if she grew up in “a normal household”.
She said she didn’t want to see her father prosecuted, but wanted him to take responsibility for his actions. The woman said his lack of acceptance has hurt her as much as the abuse. She urged other victims of sexual abuse to “take the first step”.
The local Garda agreed with Colman Cody SC, defending, that his client was co-operative with the investigation and has not come to recent negative garda attention. It was also accepted that he has a reputation as a hard-working man.
In his plea of mitigation, Mr Cody said his client was facing the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison and has been left a “broken man” as a result of these convictions. He said his client has “lost his livelihood, family and now his liberty”. His client has been in custody since conviction.
He asked the court to take into account his client’s work history and other mitigating features including his health issues. The man’s sons were in court to support him and a number of testimonials were handed in on his behalf.
Mr Cody noted that the victim accepted during the trial that her father offered her support and to give as much weight as possible to this and to his other personal circumstances. He also submitted that the man has suffered a loss of reputation and faces the stigma associated with this type of offending.
