Teenager to be sentenced later for sexual abuse of his step-sister

By Claire Henry

A Leaving Cert student will be sentenced later this year after he was found guilty by a jury of five counts of sexually assaulting his step-sister.

The accused, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, was convicted of five counts of sexual assault on dates unknown between July 2016 and August 2018 in locations in Dublin and another location outside of Dublin.

The victim was aged between eight and eleven at the time of the offences, while the accused was aged between twelve and fifteen.

Garda Sergeant Gary Sexton told Philip Rahn SC, prosecuting, that in December 2019, the victim came downstairs and went outside to find her father.

She was in floods of tears and handed a note to her dad which said, “Sometimes when he comes to visit, he touches me in my private parts,” and on the back of the note, the victim had written, “Please don’t be mad at me.”

Her dad was shocked and comforted his daughter, before confiding in family members.

Gda Stg Sexton said the victim was interviewed by specialist gardaí, and footage of this was played during the trial.

The victim told gardaí that on one occasion, she was sexually assaulted twice on the same day, once in her home and once in a restaurant, by her step-brother.

On both occasions, the boy waited outside the bathroom for her and placed his hand into the front of her trousers.

The girl described it as “touching me in my front on my lady space, where you would do your wee.”

On another occasion, the girl was in her bedroom, and the accused came in, pulled down her pants and started touching her, saying, “I’m just doing something.”

The girl was scared, and he stopped when he heard someone coming up the stairs.

The victim also described an incident where the accused went to give her a hug, and they toppled over and fell on a chair.

The accused took his penis out and rubbed it off her, but when he heard someone coming, he stopped and put his penis back in his trousers.

On the final occasion, the victim and the accused were talking, and the accused took out his penis and said, “Touch that,” and the victim said, “No.” The accused then wanted to put his penis in her mouth, but she refused. He asked her, “Will you rub it?” and put her hand on his penis.

A victim impact statement was handed into court and read by Gda Sgt Sexton, which said, “My life has changed and not in a good way. Some of my childhood was taken away.” “I have a lot of anger for my brother, and I took it out on the rest of my family.” The statement finished with, “I trusted him because he was my big brother.”

Gda Stg Sexton agreed with Rodrick O’Hanlon SC, defending, that his client had been cooperative with gardaí during interview.

Mr O’Hanlon said this court case has been hanging over his client for several years and has had an effect on him and his schooling.

Counsel said his client will now be registered as a sex offender.

Ms Justice Ellen Ring said, “Sentencing adults when they committed an offence as a child presents a myriad of difficulties.”

She also noted that the victim had this trial hanging over her also. She adjourned the case for finalisation to July 3, 2023.