sexual abuse

Sign in

sexual abuse

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Cork Sexual Violence Centre Mary Crilly: 'I can’t believe it’s been 43 years since I started in the centre'. Picture: Darragh Kane</p>

news

Cork Sexual Violence Centre appoints new chief as Crilly retires after 43 years

After founding the charity as the Cork Rape Crisis Centre in 1983, Mary Crilly is hoping to campaign for legislation to tackle the crime of spiking, describing it as 'the standout crime at the moment'

<p> Following a European Court of Human Rights ruling in favour of one former pupil, Louise O’Keeffe, in 2014, the government was forced to set up a redress scheme for others who had been abused as children. Picture: Dan Linehan</p>

munster

Dunderrow abuse survivors again told Government needs more time to provide redress

<p>Bill Kenneally with a young basketball team in 1984</p>

munster

Bill Kenneally's victims in line for freedom of Waterford City

'It was absolutely localised State collusion': Bill Kenneally abuse survivors speak out

news

'It was absolutely localised State collusion': Bill Kenneally abuse survivors speak out

Bill Kenneally public inquiry

news

Survivors of abuser Bill Kenneally criticise Government over how report was released

'He's pure evil': Bill Kenneally survivor recounts decades of trauma and the struggle for justice

spotlight

'He's pure evil': Bill Kenneally survivor recounts decades of trauma and the struggle for justice

Sexual assault survivors to protest outside Dáil over use of counselling notes in trials

Sexual assault survivors to protest outside Dáil over use of counselling notes in trials

Legislation being debated on Wednesday night proposes the use of counselling notes in trials only being permitted where there is a risk of an unfair trial

Tue, 09 Jun, 2026

Behind the bars

'Prolific paedophile' who sexually abused five young boy scouts fails to get sentence cut

Jim Harmon's counsel said the challenge in sentencing was not to lose sight of the defendant

Mon, 08 Jun, 2026

Woman in fear of domestic abuse

Reform urged as family law system 'failing very people it is meant to protect'

The campaign is co-founded by barrister Lisa Ann Wilkinson and Síle Ní Dhubhghaill

Sun, 17 May, 2026

Sexual abuse survivors call for 'Super Protection Orders' to keep abusers from contacting them

Sexual abuse survivors call for 'Super Protection Orders' to keep abusers from contacting them

the Joint Committee on Justice, Home Affairs, and Migration heard from survivors of rape on Tuesday

Tue, 12 May, 2026

Cork court hears man asked 'what happens when she is 18?' when told to stay away from rape victim

Cork court hears man asked 'what happens when she is 18?' when told to stay away from rape victim

The sports coach from Kerry was found guilty of raping, orally raping and sexually assaulting one girl, and sexually assaulting another victim

Fri, 01 May, 2026

Criminal Courts of Justice

Judge criticises testimonial that claims man convicted of sexual abuse has 'strong moral compass'

The man was convicted of two counts of the oral rape of his half-sister when he was aged between 16 and 17 while the girl was between seven and eight years old

Fri, 01 May, 2026

A child using smart phone lying in bed late at night

'The Com': Europol warns of online network grooming children into violence and sexual abuse

EU police agency Europol has warned that The Com poses an 'extremely serious threat'

Wed, 29 Apr, 2026

Depressed woman talking to her pchychologist closeup

Garda search of therapist's home for counselling notes 'an appalling abuse of power'

Search of therapist’s home sparks fears over confidentiality, consent, and use of counselling notes in sexual offence trials

Fri, 24 Apr, 2026

Sad boy standing alone in the hallway

Cabinet to discuss inquiry into child sex abuse in schools

Hildegarde Naughton will tell Cabinet colleagues the four appointments will include a senior legal consultant and child safeguarding experts

Tue, 21 Apr, 2026

Limerick man 'invaded my home, my body, my mind and every part of my being', abuse case hears

Limerick man 'invaded my home, my body, my mind and every part of my being', abuse case hears

The 75-year-old abuser, Tom White, was the man responsible for a series of sexual assaults which took place 50 years ago

Mon, 20 Apr, 2026

Blackrock College abuse

Experts appointed to historical school sex abuse commission

That inquiry was launched in 2022 after brothers Mark and David Ryan revealed abuse they suffered at Blackrock College in Dublin

Mon, 20 Apr, 2026

Prisoner XL

Man jailed for repeatedly raping daughter and threatening her at knifepoint in Limerick

The woman said in her victim impact statement: 'I am no longer in fear of you. I look at you with disgust and shame'

Mon, 20 Apr, 2026

Man sexually assaulted Ryanair cabin crew member mid-flight

Man sexually assaulted Ryanair cabin crew member mid-flight

'I was only doing my job when this happened', the woman said

Thu, 16 Apr, 2026

Four Courts Building on the river Liffey in Dublin Ireland

Court cancels registration of child psychiatrist who groomed and sexually abused teenage girl

Child psychiatrist Amirul Mohd Yunos is currently serving eight years and six months in prison

Tue, 14 Apr, 2026

Man charged with sexually assaulting his daughter when she was 10

Man charged with sexually assaulting his daughter when she was 10

The accused was allowed out on bail with conditions

Fri, 10 Apr, 2026

EU votes to stop allowing social media platforms detect child sex abuse material

EU votes to stop allowing social media platforms detect child sex abuse material

European Parliament vote prioritises data privacy over child safety, according to Noeline Blackwell of the Children’s Rights Alliance

Sun, 29 Mar, 2026

Stolen Credit Cards

Europol sting shuts down over 373,000 dark web sites

Many of the sites claimed to be selling child sexual abuse material

Sun, 22 Mar, 2026

Sad woman

‘Keep knocking on doors’: Survivor speaks out after abuser uncle jailed for 12 years

Woman waived anonymity to encourage others to report abuse, despite earlier dismissal and years of silence

Sat, 21 Mar, 2026

A child using smart phone lying in bed

'Social media apps exposing young people to addictive algorithms, sexual violence, and gambling'

Medical conference hears call for 'stricter online regulation'

Sat, 21 Mar, 2026

Woman's report of abuse was rebuffed twice by gardaí, court told, as man gets 12 years for her rape

Woman's report of abuse was rebuffed twice by gardaí, court told, as man gets 12 years for her rape

'I was made to believe that speaking out would destroy my family and cause terrible consequences.'

Fri, 20 Mar, 2026

St Patrick’s Day float referencing Epstein files draws condemnation

St Patrick’s Day float referencing Epstein files draws condemnation

Charities call display, which mimicked a sexual assault, ‘an act of public grooming’ that normalises sexual violence

Thu, 19 Mar, 2026

Mary Crilly to retire from Sexual Violence Centre Cork but says she will continue campaigning

Mary Crilly to retire from Sexual Violence Centre Cork but says she will continue campaigning

Having founded the centre in 1983, chief executive Mary Crilly is about to step down — but intends to continue working on the Safe Gigs Ireland campaign

Thu, 12 Mar, 2026

'I'm not a victim but a survivor,' says girl sexually abused from the age of six by elderly man

'I'm not a victim but a survivor,' says girl sexually abused from the age of six by elderly man

The 84-year-old man has been jailed for five years for the crimes which he denied

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

'I was just a young student who wanted to do a medical degree': UCD student's life shattered by abuse images

'I was just a young student who wanted to do a medical degree': UCD student's life shattered by abuse images

In April last year, someone circulated images of the woman's 'naked, bruised, and unconscious' body to university staff through an unidentified ProtonMail account

Thu, 05 Mar, 2026

Thousands protest at UCD over 'naked, bruised' images shared of student

Thousands protest at UCD over 'naked, bruised' images shared of student

Protest follows circulation of explicit image as student alleges lack of university support after reported assault

Wed, 04 Mar, 2026

Snapchat

'Snapchat a haven for paedophiles': Cork sex offender messaged girl hours after prison release

A 15-year ban included prohibitions on him contacting any child under the age of 18 or going within 50 metres of a school or where children congregate

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Survivor: 'Meaningless' industrial school apology 'too little, too late'

Survivor: 'Meaningless' industrial school apology 'too little, too late'

Ray Noctor, aged 66 and from Carlow, suffered years of rape, torture and bestiality from the age of 12 to 16 at the hands of teacher David Murray at St Joseph’s Industrial school in Kilkenny

Wed, 25 Feb, 2026

No jail for ex-soldier who possessed 'depraved' images and videos of baby and children

No jail for ex-soldier who possessed 'depraved' images and videos of baby and children

The Limerick man had faced a maximum sentence of up to 14 years in jail, however the judge told Cormac Browne: 'I do not see any advantage to the public to having you incarcerated'

Wed, 25 Feb, 2026

Domestic abuse: Significant inconsistencies in garda responses to domestic violence

Domestic abuse: Significant inconsistencies in garda responses to domestic violence

Advocates are working to improve garda interaction with victims of violence, and reduce delays in getting justice, writes Ann Murphy

Mon, 23 Feb, 2026

Man gets 20 years for sexual abuse of his five children in a 'grotesque breach of parental trust'

Man gets 20 years for sexual abuse of his five children in a 'grotesque breach of parental trust'

The children were also locked in a room for days at a time without food and forced to drink urine

Fri, 20 Feb, 2026

Rape and indecent assault charges against elderly Limerick man reduced from 40 to 11

Rape and indecent assault charges against elderly Limerick man reduced from 40 to 11

The man is accused of indecently assaulting his neighbour between 1972 and 1973 when she was between the ages of 13 and 16 and raping her between 1975 and 1976

Wed, 18 Feb, 2026

FRA-ILLUSTRATION-IA

Grok 'nudify' scandal: Data Protection Commission to investigate X over its AI app

Ireland's data protection watchdog, the lead supervisory authority across the EU/EEA, has announced 'a large-scale inquiry' into X / Twitter's compliance with obligations under the GDPR

Tue, 17 Feb, 2026

Prisoner XL

Cork equestrian coach who raped 14-year-old girl when he was 62 jailed for nine years

Ms Justice Siobhán Lankford said at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork that the huge age disparity at the time – 14 years and 62 years – was an aggravating factor

Fri, 13 Feb, 2026

Courts of Criminal Justice, Dublin

'I was an innocent child': Engineer to be sentenced for sexual abuse of six children in Cork and Dublin

The court had heard that the child victims looked up to the defendant as a 'cool older cousin' and that teenagers would often hang out in his home and there was drinking

Thu, 12 Feb, 2026

Therapist couldn't see abused girl, 4, as notes could be 'used against her' by paedophile's lawyer

Therapist couldn't see abused girl, 4, as notes could be 'used against her' by paedophile's lawyer

'Her grandfather, 70 years her senior, inflicted anguish, confusion, fear, trauma, shame and anxiety on our four-year-old toddler.'

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Young Girl In Bedroom Worried By Bullying Text Message

Half of children aged 8-12 at risk online with no parental restrictions, survey finds

CyberSafeKids says many children are exposed to the risk of engaging with strangers as it launches its 'Same Rules Apply' campaign

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Close up of a sad young Caucasian woman reading bad news

Gardaí must be trained to identify sex-for-rent offers, Oireachtas told

Coalition urges garda training, victim supports and inclusion of sex-for-rent exploitation in Ireland’s domestic and gender-based violence strategy

Mon, 09 Feb, 2026

FRANCE-ELON-MUSK-LAUNCH-GROK-ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE-NEW-VERSION

X snubs TDs and senators as Paris office is raided for allegedly facilitating child abuse images

Google, Meta, and TikTok will be at Oireachtas media committee but — even amid the Grok 'nudification' scandal — Elon Musk's social media company is refusing to show up

Wed, 04 Feb, 2026

Farmer admits sexually assaulting 16-year-old girl on transatlantic flight to Boston

Farmer admits sexually assaulting 16-year-old girl on transatlantic flight to Boston

The court was told that the complainant, now aged 18, is currently studying in a US college

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Neil Gaiman

Author Neil Gaiman claims sexual assault allegations are result of ‘smear campaign’

Nine women have come forward to accuse the 65-year-old English author of sexual misconduct

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

Mother and daughter sitting back to back

Family waited nearly a year for support after girl sexually assaulted by peers

A mother describes an 11-month wait for counselling after her teenage daughter was sexually assaulted, highlighting gaps in State support services

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026

Matternity hospital rents hotel beds for pregnant women

Ireland's busiest sexual assault treatment unit records 12% rise in cases

Sexual assault treatment units provide 24/7 specialist care to people who have experienced sexual violence, including medical care, forensic examination, evidence storage, and access to psychological support

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026

AI prompt chat bot. Search website to generate data, text or image. Man using computer with artificial intelligence app. Virtual

Sexual abuse support service for children raises 'concern' about impact of AI

Rise driven by exposure to online pornography with fears over impact of AI tools

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026

Former Cork scout leader jailed for indecent assault of boys argues he should have had two separate trials

Former Cork scout leader jailed for indecent assault of boys argues he should have had two separate trials

The argument is that due to the 'circumstances of cruelty' involved in an attack he committed on one boy in a wooded area, the offences against this victim should have been the subject of a separate trial to that concerning four other complainants

Wed, 28 Jan, 2026