'I am not your victim', woman tells her brother-in-law who sexually assaulted her when she was 19

Accused assaulted teenager at Christmas during a family board game and the following March when she was babysitting a newborn baby, court heard

Accused, who was found guilty on three counts of sexual assault following a trial earlier this month, was jailed for two and a half years. Picture: Larry Cummins

A woman who was sexually assaulted by her brother-in-law said she did not want him named in coverage of the case and told him: “Your name is not worthy to sit next to mine.” 

Detective Garda Mary Bridget Enneguess, who investigated the case, said the first incident occurred when the injured party was 19 at Christmas 2005 when there was a family board game being played and she went upstairs to the toilet. 

Her brother-in-law, who was 10 years older, was on the landing when she came out and pushed her against the wall and kissed her. It caused her shock and upset and she did not consent.

Later, back at the kitchen table, he put his hand on her thigh under the kitchen table when the board game resumed. And this formed the second sexual assault on which a jury found him guilty.

And the following March when she was babysitting, he pushed her on to a bed, pinning her hands over her head and kissed her, while effectively straddling her. 

Judge Helen Boyle said this was the more serious count when she was babysitting a newborn baby and there was an element of false imprisonment to that incident.

“It is against a background of paying her inappropriate attention when she was a teenager.

It is clear this had a serious ongoing effect on her. She had to pretend during family occasions that everything was OK but were torture for her.

“The element of paying her inappropriate attention growing up as a teenager is an aggravating factor, culminating in these sexual assaults,” Judge Boyle said as she jailed the accused, who is now aged about 50, for two and a half years at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Suicide watch in prison

Alice Fawsitt, defence senior counsel, said while the accused pleaded not guilty, he did cooperate with the investigation, he has no previous convictions and has suffered a lot of mental stress, adding he was presently on suicide watch in prison.

Judge Helen Boyle said the jury found him guilty on three counts of sexual assault following a trial earlier this month.

The victim said: “He is someone who watched me grow up, struggle socially and develop into a young awkward woman trying to find herself and her way in the world. 

"He made me feel like I could trust him, that he understood me. However, he broke that trust when he abused me on a number of occasions in a home I was meant to feel safe in.

“During the trial, he did his best to try and discredit me and push blame on me — again taking absolutely no responsibility for his actions.

“And please, don’t get excited that I have chosen to keep your name out of the media. I have not done this because I hold guilt or shame. I have chosen to do this as by naming you I name myself. And your name is not worthy to sit next to mine in a sentence, a paragraph or an article. 

You are not deserving of media coverage. And I am not your victim. As I said, I am a strong and brave wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend.”

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