Galway man pleads not guilty in schoolgirl-assault case

A schoolgirl has claimed she was sexually assaulted on two occasions by an elderly neighbour when visiting his house in Galway city.

A 71-year-old Galway man pleads not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of sexually assaulting the girl on dates between July 1 and September 30, 2002 and July 1 and September 30, 2003 at his home.

The sexual assault is alleged to have occurred at the neighbour's house in Galway city when the girl was five and six and a half years-of age respectively.

The now ten-and-a- half-year-old girl told prosecuting counsel, Ms Karen O'Connor BL, that she was five-years-of-age when she first visited the accused's house and on that occasion he put his hand into her underpants and squeezed her bottom.

She said he put on a video of a dolphin and that when she was sitting on the settee he put his hand inside her underpants and squeezed her bottom. Before she went home he gave her ice-cream and 'Malteesers'.

Giving her evidence via video link, she said the accused had invited her to come to his house again when she was six-and-a-half by telling her that his granddaughter was visiting and they could play together. She said he locked the front door when she entered. "I remember thinking 'why lock the door?'," she said.

Asked by defence counsel, Mr John Phelan SC, in cross-examination, why she went back into the house for a the second time - after what she claimed had happened the previous year, the girl replied: "I had forgotten about it. When he did it the second time it was clogged in my mind."

She told Mr Phelan that she didn't complain about the incident "because he told me it was our secret".

Garda Ann Boland told Ms O'Connor she first heard of the allegations in June 4, 2004 and took statements from the child and her guardian on June 13, 2004 and October 4, 2004.

Gda Boland said she arrested the accused on October 7, 2004 and he denied both allegations.

The hearing continues before Judge Pat McCarten.