14-year term for ‘appalling breach of innocence’

A 52-YEAR-OLD father who systematically raped and sexually abused his eldest son over a three-year period has been given a 14-year prison sentence by the Central Criminal Court.

The case, which has been described by child support groups as one of the worst of its type, is the subject of a soon-to-be published HSE report on how health board officials dealt with the family.

The father of six from the west of Ireland, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was convicted on 47 charges of rape and sexual assault of his son on dates between April 11, 2001, and June 23, 2004, when the boy was aged between 12 and 15.