Suspected sexual abuse in foster family

There was widespread suspected sexual abuse within the foster family a child was sent to after he was allegedly raped by his father and forced to have sex with his mother.

The Central Criminal Court trial of the child’s parents has heard a garda report that there were allegations of sexual abuse against two children in the foster family. Most of the allegations related to the eldest foster child, named here as CF (not his real initials). He had been with the foster family from a very young age, the court heard.

CF was accused of sexually assaulting or having inappropriate sexual contact with four children in the wider foster family. The court heard only one set of allegations came to court where he admitted abusing his foster mother’s nephew.

CF, who is now over 18, is awaiting sentence for this. He no longer lives in the foster home.

The foster parents refused to co-operate with a garda investigation into the various instances of alleged abuse and were “minimally” co-operative with the HSE, a garda told the court.

One of the foster children who was allegedly abused by CF was taken into care but is now back with the foster family.

The alleged victim in the current trial was placed with the foster family after he was taken out of his parents’ home when he was eight years old in 2013.

The parents face a total of 82 charges of abuse between 2007 and 2011 in Waterford.

Yesterday, a garda told the court she compiled a report on alleged sexual abuse within the first foster family the child was placed with. She said the family was caring for four other children at the time, including CF and his biological brother, who were long foster placements.

There were allegations of abuse or inappropriate sexual contact against the oldest foster child, CF, relating to three children in the foster home. He was also alleged to have abused two other children in the extended family of the foster mother. In total, there were allegations that he had interfered with three male and two female children.

The court has already heard that one of these children was alleged to have raped the complainant at the centre of the current trial.

No charges were ever brought in relation to this as he was under the age of criminal responsibility at the time.

The garda said no other children have been placed with the foster family since but she did not know if this was as a result of an order by the HSE. There were no allegations of abuse by the foster parents.

The trial continues.