Prosecution details case in rape and sexual assault trial

The prosecution today began outlining its case in the trial of a Co Offaly farmer, who has gone on trial on charges of raping and sexually assaulting his then 12-year-old niece over an eight-year period.

The 54-year-old man has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to 44 charges alleging offences at two named places in Co Offaly on dates from 1990 to 1998.

He denies a total of 27 counts of rape: one in 1992; seven in 1993; 10 in 1994; and three each in 1995 and 1996 and 1997-1998. He also denies 17 counts of indecent and sexual assaults on dates from 1990 to 1995.

Mr Niall Durnin SC (with Ms Dara Foynes BL), prosecuting, told the jury that it would be the State's case that the complainant will testify that her uncle first sexually assaulted her in 1990 during a regular visit to his farm, when he approached her and put his hands on her breasts and on her vagina outside her clothing.

She pushed the man away because she believed it was inappropriate but he again sexually assaulted her in the same manner a number of times that year, it is claimed.

On one occasion, he asked her to bring a bucket out to him in the milking parlour and although she initially refused to do so, her mother told her to do as her uncle told her.

When she went out to the shed she alleges that the accused pushed her against a wall, took off her jeans and underwear and after taking off his own trousers, raped her.

Mr Durnin said in 1993 the now 29-year-old complainant would often be at her home by herself while she was studying for her junior cert. Her uncle would regularly call to the house and on six or eight occasions he raped her in either her bedroom on the sitting room.

The same year she would regularly babysit for him and would stay overnight sharing a room with his daughter.

She alleges that the accused would regularly come into the bedroom, take the younger girl out to the bathroom and then rape her or sexually assault her.

Mr Durnin said the woman will also testify that she also babysat for the accused's children while the extended family were abroad at a wedding and during that time he both raped and sexually assaulted her.

The hearing continues before Mr Justice Peter Charleton.