Suspended sentence for abusing a child is 'beyond belief'

Mary Crilly of the Cork Sexual Violence Centre blasts suspended sentence handed down to teenager who raped his niece

'The idea of a suspended sentence for abusing a child is just beyond belief,' said Mary Crilly: 'All the research shows that these guys will reoffend and they just do it because they can.' Picture: Larry Cummins

Mary Crilly, the Director of the Cork Sexual Violence Centre, has said the idea of a suspended sentence for "abusing a child is just beyond belief" and called for better guidelines in respect of sex assault and rape cases coming before the courts.

She made the comments after a teenager who raped his niece after viewing internet porn from the age of nine or 10 had a five-year jail sentence suspended on condition he would not go within 50km of the victim for five years.