Man with career working with vulnerable children gets four years for sexually assaulting nephew
Paul Craven, aged 55, from Ballyfermot in Dublin was convicted in December on 11 counts of abuse including indecent assault and sexual assault on dates between 1989 and 1999. Picture: IrishPhotoDesk.ie
A former Daughters of Charity worker has been sentenced to four years in prison for sexually assaulting his nephew 30 years ago.
Paul Craven, aged 55, from Ballyfermot in Dublin was convicted in December on 11 counts of abuse including indecent assault and sexual assault on dates between 1989 and 1999. Sentence in the case was adjourned until Tuesday to allow Mr Craven and his wife Breda to sell their home.
His victim, Alan Jenkins, now 41 and who waived his right to anonymity, was present in court for the hearing with his family. Handing down sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Sinéad Nà Chúlacháin described Mr Craven as a man who “abused his position” in the family.
She said: "Alan Jenkins is your nephew who was orphaned at the age of five and he looked up to you. This was a huge breach of trust, of a very young boy when you groomed and abused him.
“This was his home where he should have felt safe, and you abused him over a long period of time. Who knows, with this child who was football mad, how his life would have turned out if his life had not gone off the rails as a result of your actions?"
She sentenced him to four years in prison, and he has been placed on the sex offenders register. "There is no expression of remorse, and you don’t accept your guilty," she said.
The court heard Mr Jenkins and his sister went to live with their grandparents after both their parents died. The first incident of sexual abuse happened when Mr Jenkins was around six or seven years old.
The court heard Paul Craven, who was living in the house at the time, used to call his nephew upstairs to play cards in the attic where he slept. He would hide the cards behind his back and would “give clues where to find them” between his legs and guide Alan’s hand between his legs.
As he got older the abuse progressed to Mr Craven lying “naked” on the bed in front of Mr Jenkins when he was playing on the computer and touching himself.
The court was told Mr Craven would ply his young nephew with alcohol and began "inspecting" his genitals under the guise of examining for sexually transmitted infections. After football games, Mr Jenkins said Craven would make him take part in "rub downs" and grope him.
Judge Nà Chúlacháin said the long-standing effects the abuse had on Mr Jenkins resulted in him battling alcohol problems, mental health issues, and self-harm.
“You used your position in the family to isolate him in the family and your qualifications and employment to undermine him," she said.
Mr Craven’s barrister, Kathleen Leader SC, read out her client’s long-standing career working with vulnerable children in a number of centres including the Daughters of Charity and Jobstown Family Centre.
She also read extracts of several “glowing” sworn affidavits following Craven’s conviction, from friends and colleagues.
His former teacher Finn Essex taught Craven in his senior years at St John's College Ballyfermot and they became “close personal friends over 30 years”. In his affidavit Mr Essex said it was “no surprise to the staff when he chose a career in youth work”.
RĂłisĂn Elliot, who worked with Mr Craven at the Daughters of Charity, said: “There was never a hint of impropriety of any sort in relation to his work at the time.” While another colleague Mark Murry said Craven was a “man of compassion and integrity".
Dressed in white runners, blue jeans, a check shirt and brown jacket, Craven stared ahead during the sentencing. His wife sat at the back of the court crying.
After the hearing Alan Jenkins told the that his uncle “groomed me from an early age”.
“He was my hero” he said. “I was always looking forward to seeing him. That is what the grooming does to you. You are being manipulated all the time.
“He was able to convince people he was great because he hid behind working with vulnerable children and behind the system.
“He was always telling my family to never believe me. Really what he was doing was preparing everyone to go against me if I ever mentioned the abuse.
“I reported all of this to Tusla who said the allegations were unfounded.”
- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
