Man who sexually assaulted 14-year-old girl at Macroom festival jailed for five years

Court hears victim impact statement: 'That night was the worst night of my life. I cannot put into words how horrific every second was while I was locked in that van'

The judge praised the girl for her brave victim impact statement.

A 14-year-old girl attending the Townlands festival outside Macroom, Co Cork, five years ago was sexually assaulted by a 33-year-old man in the van in which she was sleeping with teenage friends.

Judge Helen Boyle jailed Frank Harte, now 37, of Gortnagragh, Ballydehob, Co Cork, for five years at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The accused man contested the case last month but a jury of nine men and three women found him guilty of the crime.

The judge said the victim made a brave and eloquent victim impact statement.

Detective Garda Muireann Byrne read it on behalf of the victim. The young woman said: “That night was the worst night of my life. I cannot put into words how horrific every second was while I was locked in that van. I could not comprehend what was happening to me.

“The assault broke me. I felt shameful and disgusting in my own body. I was so violated it felt unreal. When I came home after the festival all I wanted was a shower, to scrub his touch off my body. I have never felt so disgusting in my own skin before. I scrubbed my skin until it burned.

“In school after the summer I was a wreck. I was suffering from such bad anxiety and my depression was so bad I had no focus to do any schoolwork. I felt like such a failure.

“I was having trouble sleeping… I was so paranoid that he or another man was going to break into the house and attack me again. I would hear footsteps in my room and I would see shadows on the wall.

My trust in people is non-existent. I trust no one fully… I feel outcast in my own life.

“I would like to be able to love someone without fearing that they are going to hurt me. I would like to be able to have a fun time with my friends without worrying about who is watching me.

"I would like to be able to work wherever I want regardless of the number of men employed there. I would like to be able to see a male doctor, without fear, if I needed one. I would like to be able to walk around (locality) without anxiety. But I cannot. It is still affecting me to this day.”

In the trial, Brendan Kelly, prosecution barrister, submitted to the jury that there was sufficient evidence from the complainant on which they could be satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the 33-year-old man sexually assaulted the child on the night in July 2018.

Mr Kelly said there had been a lot of evidence of alternative lifestyles and people taking drugs but he said the issue at the centre of this case was a sexual assault by a 33-year-old man on a child.

Defence argued reasonable doubt

Defence senior counsel, Seamus Roche, said at the close of the trial in May that while the complainant gave her evidence in a very respectful fashion, he said she was a troubled young woman who received treatment for mental health difficulties, was self-harming, and was being prescribed Prozac.

The complainant said that at the time of the alleged assault, she pretended to sleep. Mr Roche said to the jury that she did not kick out or shout out to rouse the other people in the van at the time.

“Someone could have turned around and said, ‘look what this fellow is doing to me’, but she did not (shout out). That is a fairly significant problem.

“She also gives different versions of how the touching actually occurred. These are details, but they might be considered to be relevant.

“I have to suggest there is more than enough to have a doubt — a reasonable doubt, a significant doubt on the evidence.”

However, the jury did not have a reasonable doubt and they found Frank Harte guilty on May 12.

His sentence was backdated to then as he was remanded in custody from that time. Judge Boyle imposed a sentence of six years with the last year suspended.