Family seeks answers over failure to prosecute child sex abuser

THE family of a woman who committed suicide after being sexually abused as a child have never received an official explanation as to why criminal charges were not brought against her abuser.

A case is now being taken to the Garda Ombudsman by the family of Jane Roberts, who was assaulted and sexually abused by a neighbour in the public swimming pool in Thurles in 1982 and committed suicide in 2000, at the age of 26. She had suffered from psychiatric illness and been admitted to a number of different hospitals in the 18 months before her death.

The Roberts family, from Gathabawn in Co Kilkenny recently took a civil action for wrongful death against the man who abused Jane and won €25,395 in damages at the circuit court last July.