Man jailed for six and a half years for rape of 16-year-old niece

A Co Cavan man who raped his 16-year-old niece has been jailed for six and a half years.

The Central Criminal Court heard how the victim’s mother did not go to gardaí when told of the abuse and her family “went mad” when they found out the girl eventually made a complaint.

The girl told the court how her “world had crumbled” when her parents separated and her uncle had pretended he was there to help before plying her with alcohol and sexually abusing her. She said in her victim impact statement that her uncle had “degraded and crushed” her instead of protecting her.