Meath man pleads guilty to 13 counts of indecent assault on younger sisters

A 66-year-old Meath man was in Trim Circuit Court earlier this month charged with 40 counts of indecent assault against his two younger sisters. He pleaded guilty to 13 counts with the others to be taken into consideration. The case was in for sentencing on that date but is to be finalised on 28th April.

Det Garda Rachel Carr told the court the abuse took place between 1970 and 1980 at their family home. It is alleged the sisters were also sexually abused by another brother but he has since passed away.

The court heard the accused was confronted by the two sisters 20 years ago regarding this abuse and he apologised for his actions.

Det Garda Rachel Carr told the court on 12th January 2022 the first sister reported the incidents to gardai and the other sister did the same soon after.

For the first sister the abuse took place between 1972 and 1977 when she was aged eight to 13 years old and the accused was 14 to 19 years old. It would occur approximately once a month with the accused lying on top of the injured party rubbing against her on most occasions. This escalated through the years until she was made to do this act in her underwear and touch his penis. The abuse continued until she entered secondary school.

The second sister, was abused between the ages of seven to 12 years old when the accused was 17 to 22 years old. The court heard the first incident occurred in her bedroom while her sister was sleeping in the same room. The accused came to her side of the bed and put her hand on his penis and moved it for her. The court heard she remembers not understanding what was happening but having a strong sense something was wrong.

This progressed to her going to his room for the majority of the abuse which occurred at least once every two weeks until she entered secondary school

The court heard on one occasion she was in the sitting room watching TV when he caught her eye. She tried to ignore him but he persisted and she said to herself “I better just get this over with” because she knew she would be safe for a few days afterwards. She remembers lying on the ground until it was over and returning to the sitting room “as if nothing ever happened”.

The first sister in her victim impact statement said she used to be curious, excited, adventurous, care free, and loving but the sexual abuse she was subjected to “changed me”. The years of abuse changed these qualities to fear, alert, careful, untrusting, confused, a feeling of being unworthiness and an overarching sense of shame. She said she told her mother about what was happening but “she did nothing to stop it”.

She had to camouflage her uneasiness with an easy exterior and in her 20s and 30s saw herself as “damaged goods”, using multiple personas to hide her fear.

The court heard she started therapy and was “reclaiming myself,” earning a Masters degree and starting a relationship “with a big hearted man” but she still finds it hard to trust others.

The court heard from her statement she said she did not want to cause divisions in the family by making a complaint to Gardaí but this changed when her mother died in 2019. She said she has no desire to see her brother punished and did not care about the outcome, saying “it was about being finally heard”.

The younger sister said in her victim impact statement she was withdrawn and never achieved anything because of the abuse. It affected her relationships with men and her husband and was overly protective of her kids.

She said she considered suicide but through her friends, sister, and family “I have fought the demons and survived”. The statement read to court said she is leaving sentencing “in the hands of lady justice” and after today will release the chains that hold her.

Defending barrister Carl Hanahoe SC told the court it was an unusual dynamic in the house where they had a “traditional father” who was absent for their upbringing and the accused’s younger brother was the dominant personality. One of the sisters said the accused was under his father’s shadow wearing a smile like a mask.

SC Hanahoe told the court that it is alleged the younger brother also sexually assaulted the two girls and was charged on similar offences but he suffered a significant brain injury and passed away. He told the court the abuse was “entrenched into the family” and there was no suggestion of coercion from the accused. The court heard except for these charges the accused is of good character with no previous convictions and is married with four kids.

Judge John Martin said there can be no doubt that his two sisters “had their innocence stolen from them by you”.

The court heard the max sentence for indecent assault is two years and Judge Martin said “its now a very different regime” but he has to look at it how it was treated during this period

The judge also noted they wanted vindication from this and “neither wants to see you or their life upended”.

He said the fact they can recall so vividly what happened shows the effects of his behaviour have had on them and as a big brother he was meant to be someone they should trust.

The judge said the guilty pleas and apology stand out because it shows remorse and saves both the authorities and victims from going to trial.

Judge Martin imposed a four year sentence but pushed back the case to 28th April for finalisation. He is to take into consideration the victim’s attitude on a suspended sentence, the potential for 240 hours of community service, and an expression of remorse through compensation for either the victims or a charity.