Dublin man jailed for assaulting niece, 11, at her grandparents’ home

A Dublin man has been jailed for one year for indecently assaulting his 11-year-old niece at her grandparents’ house in the 1970s.

The 54-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to four counts of indecently assaulting the girl on dates between Jan 1 and Dec 31, 1977.

Judge Patricia Ryan handed down a two-year sentence and suspended the final year of it at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

In aggravating factors she took account of the serious nature of the charge, her age at the time, the frequency of occurrence and the breach of trust between uncle and niece in her grandparents’ house which the victim had regarded as a safe place.

In mitigating factors, the judge took into account his plea of guilty, that he accepted responsibility and that he was a minor at the time of the offence.

The now 46-year-old woman read a victim impact statement to the court in which she said that she has attempted suicide a number of times.

“I was told that my parents would not believe me and would believe him because he was an adult,” she said.

“I would spend night after night sitting on the kitchen floor crying.”

The woman said her parents never doubted her when she told them about the abuse, but said she and her family were still very badly affected by it and she is still receiving counselling.

The man took to the stand to read a letter of apology to the woman over what he had done.

“I feel so much guilt and shame for the hurt I have caused you,” he said.

Garda Maureen Munnelly told Martina Baxter BL prosecuting that the abuse happened when the man was 17 and the girl was 11.

Gda Munnelly said the abuse, usually at the weekend, stopped when the man got married.