Trial Commences at Central Criminal Court for Alleged Sexual Abuse of Minor

Ireland:   Three individuals, two men and one woman, have appeared before the Central Criminal Court charged with the sexual abuse of a young girl. The defendants, comprising the complainant’s mother, her uncle, and another man, face a combined total of 21 counts of sexual assault and rape. The alleged offenses are said to have occurred between 2000 and 2014, primarily at the family residence within the State.

The identities of the defendants are withheld for legal reasons. All three have entered not guilty pleas to all charges. The complainant’s mother, aged in her 50s, faces 13 counts of sexual assault alleged to have taken place between 2000 and 2009, and between 2012 and 2014, predominantly at the family home. She also denies one count of rape, accused of facilitating the assault by the complainant’s uncle. The uncle, in his 40s, has pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and one count of oral rape, alleged to have occurred between 2003 and 2012 at the same residence. The third defendant, a man in his 50s and a friend of the complainant’s mother’s former partner, denies one count of oral rape alleged to have taken place between 2008 and 2009 at the same address.

In her opening address, Senior Counsel Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, prosecuting, urged the jury to apply common sense in evaluating the evidence and to consider each charge against the defendants individually. She noted that cases of child sexual abuse, such as this, typically occur “behind closed doors” and “in secret,” often without witnesses or surveillance. Ms. Lawlor outlined that the complainant resided with her mother and other adult relatives during her early childhood, with alcohol being a notable factor among the adults in the household. The complainant reportedly shared a bedroom with her mother until approximately eight years of age.

The prosecution alleges that the complainant’s mother began sexually assaulting her at three-and-a-half years old, instructing her to keep it a secret. These assaults allegedly continued until the complainant was around 12, with a final incident occurring when she was approximately 15. Ms. Lawlor further stated that the complainant was around six when her uncle allegedly first raped her, with the mother purportedly present and facilitating the assault by bringing the complainant to her uncle’s bedroom. The prosecution asserts that the mother’s role in aiding and abetting renders her liable for the offense. Additional allegations include further rapes by the uncle, including an instance of oral rape when the complainant was around eight. The second man, a friend of the mother’s then-partner, is accused of orally raping the complainant at age 11, allegedly informing her afterward that “your mother knows.”

Ms. Lawlor emphasized that, under the law, a child under 15 cannot consent to such acts, potentially reducing the relevance of consent in this case. The defendants maintain that the alleged incidents did not occur. The trial continues before Ms. Justice Eileen Creedon and a jury.