New file shows State ignored warnings as convicted rapist and ‘psychotic’ wife adopted child

The late couple, Patrick and Bridget/Breda O'Brien, at the Central Criminal Court on January 21, 2013. Patrick was convicted of 16 charges of the rape and indecent assault of his daughter Fiona Doyle. Gardaí had been preparing to charge Breda for not protecting her daughter but she died before any case could proceed. File picture: Collins Courts

The wife of a man later convicted of raping his daughter was described as “borderline psychotic” and was told she was not suitable to foster or adopt — and yet they went on to become adoptive parents years later, new records show.

In 2013, Patrick O’Brien was given a 12-year sentence with the final nine years suspended for 16 counts of raping and sexually assaulting his daughter Fiona Doyle. He died in 2023.

It later emerged that his wife Breda knew about the abuse and she had supported her husband even after he pleaded guilty to raping their daughter for years.

Breda O’Brien was due to be charged with covering up the abuse but died before gardaí could do so.

Fiona Doyle survived a decade of abuse at the hands of her father. The new revelations come after she unearthed a file on her mother from Tusla last month. File picture: Moya Nolan

The couple had been fostering children and went on to adopt a child — even after the child protection services were made aware that they were not suitable.

The revelation comes after Fiona Doyle unearthed a new file on her mother from Tusla last month, which contains the damning psychiatry report.

Psychiatrist's letter 

In the letter, dated July 1, 1977, and seen by the Irish Examiner, a consultant psychiatrist wrote to social services and raised serious concerns over his patient.

He wrote: 

“This lady [Breda O’Brien] has attended here on and off on her own behalf and also on the children’s side.

“Basically, she is an immature personality, but at times is borderline psychotic.

“She has absolutely no insight into her condition and indeed neither has her husband. I do not think she is suitable for adoption or fostering of children in the foreseeable future,” the psychologist wrote.

The 1977 psychiatrist's letter discovered recently by Fiona Doyle. 

“I told her she should wait a while, but she obviously did not understand me as minutes later she told [a social worker] on the children’s side that I said she could start fostering immediately!”

Fiona Doyle told the Irish Examiner: “My parents were fostering before that letter and the fostering stopped after my mother didn’t bring a child to hospital when they had a high temperature.

“She must have been seen by this psychiatrist and basically the entire letter states she was not suitable and that she was bordering psychotic.

“My mother completely ignored him and rang a social worker afterwards and said ‘oh the doctor said I’m fine to foster’ when he absolutely did not.

They went on to adopt a child even after all of this. The State was made aware in the ’70s that both my parents were failing in their parental roles, and that my mother knew he was abusing me.

“But this record really is so shocking.

“Everybody knew and yet the State left me in their care and my parents were then approved to adopt.

“What does all of that tell you? I was failed completely and this file, which is only new, is I believe the last file they have on my mother.

“It’s horrible to think that the State services had red flags in their face and they left me there.”

Tusla has been asked to comment.

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