Two women who were sexually assaulted by a “monster, paedophile” in their own homes when they were children called for more supports to be provided for victims services after one of them said she had to wait three years to attend a councillor after she contacted a rape crisis centre.
The two women, who were abused by child sex predator Christopher O’Mahony, were speaking after former council rates collector O’Mahony (67), of Kerrykyle, Ardagh, Co Limerick, was jailed on Thursday for nine years.
Judge Sinead McMullan at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court lifted a ban that prevented the media from reporting O’Mahony’s name, after the court was informed that O’Mahony’s victims – his daughter Emma O’Shaughnessy and his sister-in-law Helen Costelloe – wanted him identified and that they had waived their right to anonymity.
Speaking afterwards, the two survivors thanked Judge McMullan for her “sensitive” handling of the matter; Detective Garda James Muldowney, Limerick Garda Divisional Protective Services Unit, who led the investigation; State prosecuting barrister Lily Buckley; and Co Limerick State Solicitor Brendan Gill.
Ms O’Shaughnessy and Ms Costelloe said they both wished to encourage other victims of sexual abuse, particularly child sex abuse, to come forward to break the stigma for victims and bring their abusers to justice.
They also called for more supports for rape crisis centres in order to cut waiting lists for abuse victims to see councillors.
Ms Costelloe, who was sexually abused by O’Mahony from when she was aged 9-14, said she was “three years” on a waiting list to see a councillor after she sought help at a rape crisis centre.
“There should be more supports out there, speedier supports, but once you get it, it’s absolutely brilliant, I would say it has helped me immensely,” Ms Costelloe said.
Ms O’Shaughnessy, who was sexually assaulted by her father from when she was aged 10 until 13, said an abuser’s defence team “can actually request your psychological evaluations and (notes) from your psychiatrist or your counsellor”, which she added, “kind of put me off seeking help because I felt that my abuser being able to pick through my thoughts and my feelings without my consent”.
“That would be very upsetting and I think it’s something the legal system needs to address – perhaps only the judge should be able to look at it and decide whether its admissible or not,” Ms O’Shaughnessy added.
O’Mahony was charged with a total of 54 counts on indictment, and pleaded guilty to 18 sample counts of sexually assaulting and indecently assaulting the two girls on dates in the 1980s and 1990s.
Judge McMullan said while all of the abuse was in itself the primary aggravating factor in the case, she highlighted several offences which she deemed to be the most serious.
The judge said these included an occasion when O’Mahony threw Ms Costelloe onto a bed and masturbated over her ejacualting onto her stomach; and when O’Mahony digitally penetrated his daughter in the bathroom of their family home on the pretext of applying acne cream.
Judge McMullan said she considered the “most serious” offence was when O’Mahony, forced himself on Ms Costelloe as she was using a public toilet at Glin Health Centre, Church Street, Glin, Co Limerick, on a date in May 1987.
“She was terrified full intercourse might happen, and she fought back and that’s when the sexual abuse stopped,” the judge said.
“The effects on both victims was very profound, undoubtedly these little girls were subjected to huge suffering.”
The judge said O’Mahony used his daughter and sister-in-law as “objects” for his personal sexual enjoyment, which she added was a “huge breach of trust”.
“When your father is your abuser that is an egregious breach of trust, a parent is supposed to be their child’s protector,” the judge said.
“Mr O’Mahony warned them not to talk about it. In respect of Helen Costelloe, he told her it was ‘our secret’, and in respect of Emma O’Shaughnessy, (O’Mahony) “warned her to keep her mouth shut and not to tell her mother,” the judge added.
Reading a victim impact statement previously in the court, Ms O’Shaughnessy said her father should have been a loving protecting parent but that he was in reality a “monster” and a “paedophile”.
She told the court that her mother “Joan O’Mahony”, and her sisters “Ceara O’Mahony and Christina Hogan”, had “chosen to support my abuser”.
“What my father did to me was inhumane – he should have been my protector, but he became a monster instead.”
Ms O’Shaughnessy said the abuse left her feeling “unclean, like maggots were crawling under my skin” and she scrubbed her skin until she bled.
O’Mahony also beat and psychologically abused his daughter, and controlled when she was allowed go to the toilet, which resulted in her suffering from urinary tract infections.
The abuse emerged after a family meeting, on July 4th, 2021, when Ms O’Shaughnessy’s aunt, Helen Costelloe, disclosed she had been sexually abused by O’Mahony from when she was aged nine to 14, and Ms O’Shaughnessy told her family she too had been abused by her father.
Three days later, on July 7th, 2021, O’Mahony, accompanied by his wife, presented himself at Henry Street Garda Station and admitted the abuse.
O’Mahony began sexually abusing Ms Costelloe after his marriage to her sister, who is 12 years her senior, and he moved into her family home.
O’Mahony organised that Ms Costelloe would wash his hair, and he would abuse her while she carried out the chore, when he would “spit on his fingers” and digitally penetrate her.
The abuse “seeped into every crevice of my life, and my innocence as a child was robbed,” Ms Costelloe previously told the court.
Lily Buckley, prosecuting, said the victims’ family “still struggle to accept the truth”.
Judge McMullan said she hoped the family rift would “heal in time.”
O’Mahony, who showed no emotion as he was led away to jail, instructed the court that he did not not disagree with any of the evidence against him.
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
