Seven men alleged to have abused female relative
Eimear Dodd
A woman was allegedly sexually abused by seven of her male relatives over an extended period of time, a Central Criminal Court jury has been told.
The seven accused men, who are aged between 32 and 55, have pleaded not guilty to a total of 98 counts against them pertaining to the woman, who is deaf.
The accused men are the woman's three uncles and four younger brothers. The abuse against the woman, Complainant 1, is alleged to have occurred within the State over a 17-year period from 1996 until 2013.
One of the woman's brothers is also accused of four counts of sexually abusing another sister and of anally raping a third sister. He has also denied these charges.
The trial is set down for four months. None of the parties involved can be named for legal reasons.
In her opening address to the extended jury panel of 15 jurors on Thursday, Gerardine Small SC, prosecuting, said there is “no place for emotion or prejudice” in the trial, telling jurors that they must approach the evidence in a “cold and clinical manner”.
Ms Small said the seven accused men are presumed innocent. She said the allegations against the men are being tried together “for the sake of convenience”, but must be considered separately and distinctly.
Prosecuting counsel outlined that Complainant 1 is deaf and will be assisted to give her evidence by ISL interpreters and an intermediary, who is there to facilitate communication.
Ms Small gave jurors a brief outline of the expected evidence in the trial. She said Complainant 1 attended a sexual health promotion course in 2017 and told a social worker about alleged abuse by family members, after which gardaí were notified and an investigation commenced.
She said the jury would also hear about the garda investigation and the men's interviews with gardaí.
Counsel said that the allegation of rape against one man, Accused G (45), dates back to 1996/1997, while some allegations made against some of the other accused men are from the early 2000s.
Ms Small said a “significant period of time has elapsed” since then and that the “law recognises what are called old cases” can be more difficult to defend as “memories fade and the possibility of an alibi may not be available”.
Ms Justice Caroline Biggs directed the jury to return on Monday, when it is expected that evidence will commence.
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.
