Survivor speaks out about her ordeal as abuser pleads guilty
A BRAVE child sex abuse survivor faced down her attacker in court yesterday and told him: “You took my childhood away from me.”
Pamela McLoughlin, who waived her right to anonymity, made the comments at Wicklow Circuit Court at the sentencing hearing of sex offender Kenneth Tracey from Blessington.
Father-of-two Tracey (48) was granted bail pending his sentence next week after pleading guilty to seven sample charges of indecent assault against Ms McLoughlin (37) between July 1987 and July 1991 when she was aged between four and eight.
He was aged 15 when the abuse started and this continued until after his 19th birthday.
The facts of the case were outlined by Detective Patrick Twomey of Blessington Garda Station, who explained that the sexual abuse happened at Tracey’s family home in Rockypool Crescent in the Co Wicklow town.
Tracey and Ms McLoughlin’s mothers were neighbours and on friendly terms, which meant the victim’s mother visited the property with her daughter a number of times each week.
The detective estimated that there were at least 100 incidents of sexual abuse, which happened on a weekly basis, and almost each time she visited the house.
The garda pointed out that the sexual abuse had two main forms – one was the then teenage Tracey placing the child’s hands on his erect penis while the other most common form of abuse she suffered was when he placed his hands inside her underwear and fondled her.
Harrowing evidence of a number of specific incidents were outlined, including an occasion when he spread the child’s legs and pretended to take a photograph of her.
Detective Twomey explained that Ms McLoughlin went to
Australia in 2009 with her then husband and while there she attended counselling.
Ms McLoughlin then made a complaint about the childhood sexual abuse to police in Sydney who passed on this information to gardaí.
She came back home in August, 2015, and made a complaint to gardaí. In December, 2015, Tracey was first interviewed by appointment in Blessington garda station, stating that he had “no knowledge of the accusations”.
Tracey was charged with multiple counts of indecent assault in July, 2016, but did not plead guilty to the offences until last November.
In a moving victim impact statement in court, Ms McLoughlin spoke about the impact of the abuse, the anger and isolation she felt, the depression and anxiety it caused, the paranoia she feels about her son’s safety and
‘Abuse took place at least 100 times, each time the victim’s mother visited the house’
her difficulties with the Irish justice and criminal process.
“I am a victim, but I am no longer Kenneth Tracey’s victim. He can never hurt me again and I hope he never has the opportunity to hurt anyone else again either,” she said.
Addressing Tracey directly, she said: “You took my childhood away from me. Some of my first memories are of you and what you did to me. I can’t get that time back.
“I want you to know the severity of the impact the experience of sexual abuse has had on my life. I will be paying for your behaviour for the rest of my life.”
She also told the court that she believes Tracey still poses a danger to children.
His defending barrister pleaded for leniency for his client, saying he had no previous criminal convictions, a history of depression and anxiety and two suicide attempts.