Victim says abuser ruined her childhood

THE victim of a sexual assault has told Wexford Circuit Criminal Court that her childhood was ruined because of the ordeal she suffered at the hands of a neighbour.

In a Victim Impact Statement read out in court, the victim said: ‘It ruined my childhood. Children are meant to have a happy and fun-filled childhood, but for me it was ruined as I was holding such a big secret which he told me to keep.

‘I didn’t tell anyone back then because I was afraid he’d do something bad to me, even though he couldn’t do much worse than what he had already done to me.

‘Even though he was in the wrong I was the one who had to move out of my home when I came forward. Because of this I lost the close relationship I had with my dad, gone from seeing each other every day to once every so often. This was because he (defendant) lives right across the road from us.

‘Everytime I see him I feel intimidated, I freeze, I can’t stop shaking. My heart beats so fast and hard I can nearly hear it. I’ve also lost a very close friend who is his daughter, because when I came out with my secret she tried to convince me not to tell my family members or gardai. His mother also tried to offer me money not to tell anyone after I told her. I told her because she was one of my mam’s best friends.’

Prosecuting Counsel Sinead Gleeson told the court that the defendant had pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault on dates between 2006 and 2008.

Garda Kevin Byrne told the court that when the victim was interviewed she was 17 years of age. She knew the accused because he was a neighbour and she was a close friend of the defendant’s daughter.

The victim, said Garda Byrne, went to the defendant’s house on two occasions for sleepovers with her friend. She would have been between the age of eight and 10 and it was during these sleepovers that two of the assaults took place.

In relation to the third incident, Garda Byrne said the defendant had moved out of the family home. The incident occurred when she had visited the defendant with his daughter.

Garda Byrne said it was on July 28, 2015, that the defendant made a complaint. The defendant subseuqently was arrested and when the matters were put to him he made a full admission.

The defendant, who is now in his early 50s, had no previous convictions.

Defence Counsel John PeartSC said the defendant entered a guilty plea at the first available opportunity. He had the sum of €1000 in court as an earnest apology to the injured party. While the report before the court places him at low risk it does not indicate an absence of risk, while a second report indicates moderate category in risk assessment.

However, prosecuting counsel Sinead Gleeson said the victim was not willing to accept the money.

Judge Quinn said sexual assault on a very young person is very serious breach of trust. He sentenced the defendant to three years in prison on each of the two counts, the sentences to run concurrently, while he also sentenced the defendant to 12 months concurrent, on the further charge. He said he would suspend 18 months on each of the three-year sentences on condition that he comply with the directions of the Probation and Welfare services.

Free legal aid was granted in the event of an appeal against the severity of sentence.