Sisters raped by neighbour get €1m in damages

TWO sisters who were raped and sexually assaulted by a neighbour after they babysat his children were given more than €1 million in damages in the High Court yesterday.

The man who raped the girls, who were 11 and 12 years of age at the time, was convicted and sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment in December 2003 after a second trial.

Each of the women is to receive a little more than €596,000 and the court was told more than €200,000 had been lodged in court by the defendant. Mr Justice Vivian Lavan ordered €100,000 be paid out to each of the plaintiffs.