A father subjected his daughter to repeated sexual abuse starting when she was aged just three and it continued for over 12 years, a court has heard.
The 69-year-old man, who cannot 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.
On Monday, Ms Justice Siobhan Lankford adjourned the case until April 26th 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 court heard.
'Take the first step'
The woman made a complaint to Gardaí in 2019, and the man was arrested in July 2020. He 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 did not want to see her father prosecuted, but wanted him to take responsibility for his actions.
She added that his lack of acceptance has hurt her as much as the abuse, and 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 for 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, who has been in custody since his conviction, has “lost his livelihood, family, and now his liberty”.
Counsel asked the court to take into account his client's work history and other mitigating factors, 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.
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.
