Victims urge others to speak out

“I CAN never get into a relationship again. I can’t trust men. I have two little girls, I can’t trust men whatsoever around them. I’m always overprotective and paranoid. I don’t have confidence around men.”

Those were the words of Elizabeth Madigan outside of court yesterday after her abuser was sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Jeremiah O’Callaghan subjected his daughter Sharon and the Madigan sisters Elizabeth and Jacinta to a reign of abuse spanning 12 years, up to 2002.

The former army sergeant started abusing his daughter at age 13, Elizabeth at age 10 and Jacinta at 11.

The 54-year-old man from Clontarf Estate, Blackrock, Cork city, was sentenced to 10 years yesterday for the rape and sexual assault of Elizabeth and the sexual assault of Jacinta and Sharon.

Elizabeth, 25, said she was “kind of disappointed” with the sentence.

“It should have been longer, 12 years at least.” She said no one deserved a life sentence.

“When you’re young, as I was when I got abused, I was scared to open my mouth to say anything, I didn’t want to break up my own family.”

“There are people out there for you. It’s a matter of finding them and having the courage to stand up and open your mouth and say that something has happened to you and don’t ever feel ashamed because it’s not your fault,” said Elizabeth.

The court had heard when Elizabeth was pregnant, by another man, at 16, Jeremiah tried to abuse her.

In her victim impact statement, Sharon O’Callaghan said it was “never too late” for anyone who had been abused to speak out.