Man sexually abused by his father as a young child asks judge for leniency in sentencing

Letters were written by the defendant’s other adult children where they too asked for leniency for their father, who is currently serving a sentence for sexual assault of a girl

One of the defendant's adult children said: 'I don’t forgive or forget what he has done but I do love him — we all do.' Picture: Larry Cummins

A 70-year-old man who was convicted of the sexual abuse of his youngest son when the child was aged between five and nine faced sentencing on Tuesday, but the victim and the defendant’s other children wrote letters to the judge asking for leniency for their father.

While the victim — who is now in his mid-20s — presented his victim impact statement where he told the accused he was his father in name only, and the sexual abuse had seriously impacted his life, the young man also presented another document to the court, namely a letter written to the sentencing judge appealing for leniency.

Victim impact statement

In the victim statement he said: “A son should not have to write a victim impact statement about his father… You are nothing to do with me. You have the title of father but that is all you have. You abused me. That is not what you are supposed to do. 

"You took [my sense of security] away for whatever feeling of satisfaction you got from what you did to me… You tore this family apart at times.” 

However, the victim said he read a letter from his father on Tuesday in which the 70-year-old apologised for what he did. Even though the defendant had pleaded not guilty and presented his actions with his son as horseplay, a jury was unanimous in finding the actions were sexual assault. 

Defence senior counsel Tom Creed said the accused accepted the jury verdicts.

The victim stated in his letter to Judge Fiona O’Sullivan on Tuesday: “I received a letter from my father expressing his apologies. I was glad to receive it.” 

He finished the brief letter by asking for leniency for his father, referring to him to by his Christian name.

Judge Fiona O’Sullivan said there was a lot of evidence to consider in the matter and she adjourned her decision on sentencing until December 13 at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, where there is a legal prohibition on identification of the parties.

The defendant is serving a sentence for sexually assaulting a girl who was no relation of his when she was about eight.

Judge O’Sullivan was told the sexual assaults in the present case involved the defendant putting his hand to his son’s anus as part of what he told his son was a game which he played with him after the child’s bath on regular occasions from the age of five to the age of nine.

Letters were written by the defendant’s other adult children where they too asked for leniency for their father. Concern was expressed about the decline in his health while serving his present sentence for sexual assault of the girl.

Some of the letters referred to the defendant’s expressions of remorse and his prayers for forgiveness. Some referred to the fact he will never be allowed to be a grandfather to his grandchildren. 

Mr Creed said the 70-year-old plans to live a long distance from Cork when his time in custody ends. One of his adult children said: “I don’t forgive or forget what he has done but I do love him — we all do.”