Man who raped wife’s teen sister avoids jail

A man who raped his wife’s 14-year-old sister has been given a suspended sentence after a judge ruled that imprisonment would impose extreme hardship on the rapist’s family.

Two of the 52-year-old man’s young sons have autism and require 24-hour care and attention. A third child has medical issues.

Following a four-day trial in February, the man was convicted by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of raping the victim on two occasions and of indecently assaulting her on two other occasions over an eight- month period between Sept 1985 and May 1986. He was 24 at the time. He had denied all charges and had been remanded in custody on conviction pending his sentence.