Claims made ‘where my father couldn’t find me’

A boy who was allegedly sexually abused with a hot poker by his father only disclosed the allegations when he was in foster care, where his father could not find him, a trial has heard.

His father and mother have pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to a total of 82 charges of abuse between 2007 and 2011 in Waterford.

The boy, now aged 12, said he was taken into care by a foster family when he was eight. When he went to a second foster family, he started making allegations of sexual abuse against his father.

He told Pauline Walley, prosecuting, he discussed the claims about the poker with his new foster mother. Asked why he felt able to tell her this, the child replied: “Because I knew my dad didn’t know where I was.”

Colman Cody, defending the father, asked the boy about the toys he owned.

He agreed that his friends did not have similar toys.

Towards the end of the day’s evidence, the boy asked Mr Cody: “How many days more do we have to do this? I’m not being rude or anything but I have an awful lot better things to do than this.”

Mr Cody replied that his cross-examination could take several more days.

The trial continues.