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Cavan man who raped his 16-year-old niece jailed for six and a half years

The woman said her uncle had “degraded and crushed” her instead of protecting her.

A CAVAN MAN who raped his 16-year-old niece has been jailed for six and a half years.

The Central Criminal Court heard how the victim’s mother did not go to gardaí when told of the abuse and her family “went mad” when they found out the girl herself eventually made a complaint.

The girl told the court how her “world had crumbled” when her parents separated and her uncle had pretended he was there to help before plying her with alcohol and sexually abusing her.

She said in her victim impact statement that her uncle had “degraded and crushed” her instead of protecting her.

The now 49-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect his victim’s identity, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape, oral rape and sexual assault at locations in Co Cavan on dates in early 1997. He was 31 years old at the time of the offences.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy noted the man had been in a position of trust and that the victim had “suffered grievously” and gone through great personal difficulty.

“The offences were of an obnoxious nature, one uses these terms as Justice Carney said, until one meets something more serious and runs out of adjectives,” he said.

Mr Justice McCarthy noted the man’s guilty plea and the fact that he was at low risk of re-offending. He imposed a six and a half year sentence and ordered three years post release supervision.

Haunted by fact he was still ‘out there’ 

A local garda sergeant told Patrick McGrath SC, prosecuting, that the man twice forced the girl to perform oral sex on him in his car. He also got into bed beside the girl and touched her breasts outside her clothes on two occasions.

On a later occasion she was raped in a bedroom by her uncle who had got on top of her and forced her legs apart.

The girl told her mother what had happened. The mother did not consider reporting the incidents to to gardaí and thought it was better for her daughter to get on with her life. The girl also told a number of friends and her boyfriend before reporting the matter to gardaí in 2011.

Her uncle was arrested and initially substantially denied the allegations but made some comments that could be described as admissions, the garda said.

The woman said her family “went mad” when she made a statement to gardaí in 2011 as they did not want it to come out but she said she had been haunted by the fact he was still “out there” and could do it again. She said:

I want to be able to look at myself and say I did all I could.

Grainne McMorrow SC, defending, said the accused man was utterly ashamed of himself and she was instructed to formally apologise in open court for the “awfulness, horror and misery” he had inflicted on her. She said his niece had deserved better from him.

She said he had been dependent on alcohol for a prolonged period and had a very poor recall of events. She said he had addressed his issues with alcohol and was now in a different place.

She said his “appalling behaviour” had been within a very narrow time frame of two months with no recurrence in the years since. She said he had been assessed at low risk of re-offending.

Read: Bill Cosby accuser says she receives hate mail from ‘diehard fans and rape apologists’>

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    Mute Diane Cauldwell
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    Jun 13th 2016, 5:47 PM

    Ridiculous sentence…these rapists b@3tards should never see the light of day. And the victims mother should hang her head in shame for her disgraceful actions. I wish only happiness for the victim and your bravery in standing up to this man is what gives other victims the strength to do the same

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    Mute Sinead jane
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    Jun 13th 2016, 7:49 PM

    He’s a paedophile slash rapist only a monster could do that to his own blood he’s own little niece.. They should lock him up for at least a life sentence of 10 years.. If a uncle could do that to his own family member of course he can attack again to a none family member.. This country is a joke when it comes to pedophiles and rapist.. I hope he doesn’t have his own kids I’m sure they’ll b at risk.. Very strong lady and done the right thing her family should be ashamed of these self’s..

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    Mute Donnachaín Ní Uallacháin
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    Jun 13th 2016, 6:24 PM

    I just hope she is getting good support away from her family who seem to care more about what the neighbours think. I find it hard to relate to a mother who would do that to her child.

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Jun 14th 2016, 12:53 AM

    Ireland of the Twitching Curtains. Protecting the guilty, shaming the victims.

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    Mute Rebecca Keyes
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    Jun 13th 2016, 5:32 PM

    6.5 years!?? What is wrong with this country?

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    Mute Mary Murphy
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    Jun 13th 2016, 10:43 PM

    The cursed drink………great excuse.

    32
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    Mute emily davison
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    Jun 14th 2016, 8:05 AM

    This has to be the best country in the world to be a degenerate filth bag

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    Mute phil
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    Jun 13th 2016, 5:32 PM

    disgraceful sentence once again.

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    Mute Bridget O'Hanlon
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    Jun 13th 2016, 11:59 PM

    Anyone would think he’d been caught importing garlic

    16
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    Mute dublin spotter
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    Jun 13th 2016, 5:35 PM

    Should have been given a year for every year of that poor girls age. 6 years is bloody shocking. Her life ruined.

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    Mute Rachel
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    Jun 13th 2016, 6:53 PM

    Should be 30 years minimum, non-negotiable for rape, and a life sentence for incestuous rape. That girl will be dealing with her demons for the rest of her life. He’ll walk free in a few years because “ah sure, he had a drink problem, he’s not really a rapist”. The judges in this country are a joke. Suspended sentences, sympathy for perverts and depraved individuals because of “personal circumstances” – and yet they’re happy enough to throw fines and jail time at normal people for not paying tv licenses and smoking a bit of grass. This country, seriously…

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    Mute John Doe
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    Jun 13th 2016, 7:20 PM

    That’s it, sentences that prevents crime not encourages it. Plus anyone caught with an unlicensed gun should also serve 30 yrs guaranteed. Criminals should be afraid of what happens if they get caught, and at the moment they don’t care.

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    Mute Tommy Cooke
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    Jun 13th 2016, 6:02 PM

    He will be out after 3 years. What kind of country are we living in. He should get life.

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    Mute Micheal OLainn
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    Jun 13th 2016, 6:20 PM

    If the victim had become pregnant by the incestuouscrape, she would not have been permitted to have a termination in Ireland. She would have had to travel, if her parents permitted it and funded the travel costs.

    It’s an interesting country we live in. I see signs of fundamentalism here.

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    Mute F.O.R.A.
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    Jun 13th 2016, 6:17 PM

    Another joke of a sentence

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    Mute redser1977
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    Jun 13th 2016, 8:31 PM

    Another sicko with a short sentence… shame on the judge. No consideration for the victim yet again.

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    Mute Sarah Collier
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    Jun 13th 2016, 10:19 PM

    How do they know he is at low risk of re-offending

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    Mute Diane Cauldwell
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    Jun 13th 2016, 10:31 PM

    I was thinking the same Sarah….these judges can now read minds and see into the future…pity they can’t do what they are paid for and put criminals like this low life in prison for life

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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Jun 14th 2016, 12:54 AM

    Maybe he has no other neices to rape.

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    Mute Peter Murray
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    Jun 14th 2016, 12:35 AM

    What about the mother?? And the family went mad when she reported it? Unreal. She should get jail too.

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    Mute B Collins
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    Jun 14th 2016, 12:19 AM

    How exactly can a judge gauge whether or not someone is likely to reoffend? He sexually assaulted a minor, his own niece. In my view, if he’s done it once, he’s sick enough to do it again. Six and a half years? Tag another 10 on and you’re heading in the right direction. This country is a disgrace and now is garnering recognition abroad as a place that seems to go easy on rapists and paedos.

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    Mute Portia
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    Jun 13th 2016, 9:05 PM

    When people learn what judges are trained to believe about child rape, then they will understand why the lenient jail sentences.

    14
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