Distress caused by childhood sex abuse led woman to take her own life, inquest hears

FIRST it was “Niamh”, who told of giving birth to a baby girl in her teens after years of sex abuse.

The baby was stabbed to death and buried in the garden of her family home in Dalkey, she claimed.

For years nobody believed her and nobody was prosecuted.

Yesterday, an inquest heard her sister Theresa hung herself last February, no longer able to cope with the flashbacks and nightmares from her own years of sex abuse.

The inquest was also told one of their brothers was also sexually abused and was found dead.

Theresa Murphy’s body was discovered on February 24 last and yesterday her best friend, Kevin Harran, said the 33-year-old’s suicide at theapartment she rented in Cabra Park in Dublin’s Phibsboro was, without a doubt, directly linked to the sexual abuse she had suffered.

“I knew her 11 years - one day she would be fine, the next day she would be like that,” he said. “It (sexual abuse) was mentioned many times.”

Mr Harran said that Ms Murphy had mentioned that she used to run away from her home to her sister Cynthia Owen who was 10 years older than her. (Cynthia was initially referred to as “Niamh” in media reports to protect her anonymity).

Ms Owen, who had moved to England, saw her sister for the first time in nine years last February. Ms Owen recently told the Dublin County Coroner’s Court she was the mother of a baby girl discovered stabbed to death in a lane in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, in 1973.

The woman, who is now in her 40s, has claimed the baby was one of two she gave birth to as a young teenager as a result of sexual abuse during the 1970s in Co Dublin.

Of her sister, Ms Owen said: “She was very distressed and told me she was suicidal as a result of sexual abuse as a child.

“She was battling sexual abuse all her life, she couldn’t hold down a job because of it.”

The packed Dublin City Coroner’s Court heard that during her life, Ms Murphy had suffered flashbacks and nightmares.

“She felt angry and cheated as the person who had abused her had not been made pay,” Ms Owen said.

She said her sister felt she could not cope after the body of her brother, who had also been sexually abused, was found. She had also spoken of another brother who had died in 1995.

Ms Owen said: “She told me I was wasting my time and I wouldn’t getjustice.”

The inquest heard Ms Murphy said she had lost all faith in life and felt that no one cared.

“She felt the only peace she would get was to end her life,” Ms Owen said.

Dr Teresa Coll, who was Ms Murphy’s GP, said she was distressed she had lost two brothers at such young ages and meeting her sister again had meant a lot to her.

The doctor said she was concerned at betraying Ms Murphy’s confidence but she had heard further details about the sexual abuse that were not revealed in court.

Landlord Harry Shannon said he had become concerned about Ms Murphy after she failed to answer the door to him. The inquest heard he alerted the fire brigade on February 24 after he pushed open the door and saw a leg behind it.

The court heard a rope attached to Ms Murphy’s body was cut down from behind the door and the pathologist found Ms Murphy had died from asphyxiation due to hanging.

Sergeant Declan Healy from Mountjoy Garda Station said a lengthy 33-page letter addressed to Ms Owen was found at the scene.

“It explained the pain the deceased was in around the time of her death,” he said.

“She was abused as a young person. During the course of her life, to getaway from that, she had to leave the family home. She referred to sufferingbecause of it the rest of her life.”

Gerry Dunne, a solicitor for Ms Owen, said: “You have heard it mentioned in each instance - sexual abuse in the past.”

Mr Dunne said he understood that, due to legal restrictions, any aspect of criminal liability could not be brought up.

“She was a beautiful young lady and it was an absolute tragedy that she ended up taking her own life,” he said.

Mr Dunne appealed for Ms Murphy’s letter to be read out in court as she had wanted her voice to be heard.

“This is a lifelong psychological problem they inflict on their victims,” Mr Dunne said, calling upon the coroner to warn perpetrators of the dreadful consequences of abuse.

Mr Dunne said that a cousin of Ms Murphy’s, who was also in court, wanted to say that the person who had abused Ms Murphy had also abused her.

Coroner Dr Brian Farrell, who passed a verdict of death by suicide, said he sympathised with the family but could not go into it for legal reasons.

“I don’t think I have ever seen so many friends in court at one time,” he said.

“I can see she was an extremely popular person and loved by many people.

“Theresa is at peace now but the rest of you are all left with the sorrow and tragedy of her death.”