Updated: 4pm
A woman who was repeatedly sexually abused by her uncle when she was a child has called for more protection for child abuse victims after he was jailed for two years.
Ronan O'Grady (33), of Hosack Road, London, England pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to eight counts of sexually assaulting his niece, Keely O'Grady, at various locations in Offaly on dates between June 18th, 2004, and June 17th, 2008.
The abuse occurred primarily at Ms O'Grady's grandparents' home in Mucklagh when she was being minded and where O'Grady was living with his parents at the time.
It also occurred in her own home in Tullamore when he was babysitting her. His parents – her grandparents – continue to support him, the court heard.
Ms O'Grady waived her right to anonymity in order for her uncle to be named. In a statement issued to the media after the sentence was handed down, she said there is “an epidemic of child abuse” in Ireland, adding the country needs to do more to protect its victims.
Sentencing O'Grady on Friday, Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted that people who might have offered support to the young woman when she came forward about the abuse had instead been “dismissive of the deep trauma caused by (the abuse)”.
“The entire family relationship has been disrupted as often happens in such situations where the abused child is blamed by some for speaking up on the terrible crimes committed upon her,” the judge said.
The judge noted a Probation Services report found O'Grady had demonstrated little insight or remorse.
The judge noted that while O'Grady was 13 when the abuse started, it continued for a prolonged period of time, ending when he was 17.
He noted O'Grady is “talented” and “well-educated”, adding: “I have no doubt he knew what he was doing was seriously wrong.”
The judge said O'Grady had pleaded guilty to eight separate and serious offences of sexual assault of the child. He said these were clear and unambiguous acceptance of his guilt and “the truth of the matter”.
The court heard the abuse involved the teenager repeatedly touching his niece inappropriately, penetrating her digitally, making her perform oral sex on him, humping her and showing her pornography. On one occasion, his friend hid in the wardrobe and recorded some of the abuse on a phone, the court heard.
In her victim impact statement, which she read out in court earlier this week, Ms O'Grady (26) said it has been 20 years since her uncle first started abusing her.
Flashbacks
She showed a framed photo of herself aged six to the court, saying: “I was a cheery, happy, friendly child, which makes it harder for me to accept that that little six-year-old was hiding everything that happened to her.”
The court heard Ms O'Grady started suffering from flashbacks when she was 18 and got in touch with her uncle on social media to tell him she remembered what he had done.
He wrote back: “I remember too. I hope you're OK.” He added that he was “young and stupid” at the time.
But despite these admissions, O'Grady maintained his innocence to family members and fought the charges until his Central Criminal Court trial was about to start, when he entered guilty pleas.
Ms O'Grady said she has suffered with depression, severe anxiety, stress, paranoia and self-harm as a result of the abuse she suffered at his hands.
In her victim impact statement, she said he was a “manipulator” who manipulated everyone around him and continued to lie about the abuse, even after he confirmed the abuse in his social media messages to her.
“I have lost family because of you,” she said.
She said it was particularly hurtful having to tell her grandfather about the abuse and then be left wondering why he was protecting his son and not her.
She added she was asked by family members if she was sure she wanted to pursue the case and was told to move on with her life.
Manipulation
“Being told to move on is the highest insult,” she said. “Because that is what I am doing, and I'm doing it as I process the abuse.”
She said she had been abused in her grandparents' home where she should have been safe, and by someone she should have been safe with. “He manipulated everyone around me,” she said, adding she was the one made to feel like she was on trial.
“But (he) is the criminal here, not me.”
Ms O'Grady's grandparents have stood by their son and were in court to support him, along with his partner.
The court heard the accused worked in finance, most recently in London. He took the stand and told the court he was very sorry for what he had done. He has no previous convictions.
His partner also took the stand and outlined the difficulties they will have in the future as a result of his convictions and his being on the sex offenders register. She said they have had to put their lives on hold, including marriage and children, as a result.
Defence counsel Colm Smyth SC urged the judge to be as lenient as possible.
Mr Justice McDermott said that had he been sentencing O'Grady as an adult, he would have set a headline sentence of eight years. He reduced it to a headline of three years and six months, given he was underage at the time of the offending.
He further reduced this to two years, taking a number of mitigating factors into account, including his lack of previous convictions, his guilty pleas and the fact he has been assessed as being at low risk of re-offending.
The judge declined to suspend any part of the sentence, noting the man's stated intention to return to the UK once he had served his sentence. He backdated it to Monday, when he went into custody.
In a statement issued to media after the sentence, Ms O'Grady said: “I want survivors to know that I see you and I see the daily battle you have every day to fight for yourself.
“Whatever is holding you back, whether that’s fear or family influence, I want you to know you can get through this.”
“Every child deserves a safe place free from abuse. I want change. I want change not only for myself but for every survivor.
“There is an epidemic of child abuse in Ireland and no one is talking about it. Ireland needs to do better to protect our children,” she added.
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.
