‘He took my whole childhood from me’
Picture used for illustration purposes only
A YOUNG Carlow woman has bravely come forward to warn the public about her stepbrother, Daniel Kelly, 30 Brotherton, Graiguecullen, Carlow, who was sentenced to just two years in prison this summer after pleading guilty to five counts of raping her as a child.
The woman, now in her twenties, has chosen to speak publicly about her ordeal despite the ongoing trauma, driven by a singular concern – the safety of other children.
“I would fear him being around children,” she said, explaining her motivation for coming forward with her story.
Mr Kelly, now 27, subjected his younger stepsibling to years of systematic sexual abuse between 2008 and 2012, when she was between six and nine years’ old and he was aged between ten and 14. The abuse took place at their father’s residence during weekend visits, with Mr Kelly entering her room after everyone else had fallen asleep.
The abuse only came to light after the final incident resulted in significant bleeding. Although the girl hid her underwear, her father found it and became suspicious. Both children were referred to social services at the time, but, shockingly, the victim recalls receiving only one counselling session while her abuser attended approximately 20 sessions with a clinical psychologist, according to her recollection.
No criminal investigation was pursued at the time, with the family indicating that they did not wish to proceed with garda involvement.
It wasn’t until 2022, when the victim was an adult, that she found the courage to report the crimes to gardaí – and even then, she needed help taking that first step.
“My partner actually just rang for me, so that was helpful. Then the guards rang me to meet at the garda station, but I didn’t want to go there so two detectives came to my mother’s house,” she recalled, describing her initial fear.
Mr Kelly was arrested and responded “no comment” throughout questioning. He was subsequently charged with 21 counts of rape, although his victim claims the abuse was far more extensive.
“It was happening for years,” she said simply.
Kelly initially pleaded not guilty to all charges, forcing his victim to prepare to give evidence against him. The case proceeded to trial at the Central Criminal Court in March 2025, with a jury sworn in. However, following a legal argument about the admissibility of admissions Mr Kelly had made as a juvenile, he changed his plea.
“He pleaded guilty to five charges. As I was about to get up on the stand, my legal team pulled me aside at the last moment,” she recounted. “He tried to say that he did it for me so I didn’t have to go up on the stand, but he did it five minutes before I had to go up on the stand, so I had that worry in my belly already.”
She rejects any suggestion that his last-minute plea was an act of mercy. “He didn’t do it for me because I was anxious in the lead-up to that time. Why did he not say it at the very start?”
Faced with the difficult decision of whether to accept the plea deal, she made a pragmatic choice driven by fear. “I felt that five counts of rape is better than one,” she explained, worried that if the case went to full trial, he might be found not guilty on all charges.
The impact of the abuse has been devastating and enduring. “He took my whole childhood from me,” she said.
She was just a small child when the abuse began. “I was four years younger than him. I was a little girl,” she said.
Although she knew what was happening to her was wrong, she was too frightened to tell her parents. “I was afraid. He was older. When you’re young, you think older siblings are going to be believed. And I was afraid they might think I’d wanted that.”
Now an adult, she continues to suffer from the psychological trauma. “Every day I got panic attacks because I was afraid I was going to see him,” she said.
The situation is made worse by the fact that both she and Mr Kelly live in the same area. “When I see him, he intimidates me, stares at me. I’ve had to cross the street,” she revealed. “It’s hard. I just constantly think about it. If I’m in town and I see someone that looks like him, I go weak.”
She has attended counselling with the Rape Crisis Centre, which she says helped, though she’s currently taking a break. “I feel like every time I go there, every time I think of it, I’m just drained.”
Mr Kelly wrote a letter of apology as part of the court process, but his victim found it hollow and self-serving. When asked if he has shown any genuine remorse, her answer was unequivocal: no.
On 14 July 2025, Mr Justice Paul Burns handed down a two-year prison sentence at the Central Criminal Court, with the final six months suspended.
Mr Kelly, who has no previous convictions beyond four road traffic offences, is now a registered sex offender.
In her victim impact statement, the young woman told the court that there were no words to describe the enormous impact of what happened to her, describing her experience as a “never-ending real-life horror story”. She said the trauma had contaminated all elements of her life and continued to affect not just her but all the people she loves.
Mr Justice Burns acknowledged the “enormous impact” on the victim and noted that she “clearly feels the accused has not really been held accountable for his actions”. However, he also took into account Mr Kelly’s age at the time of the offences as a significant factor in reducing culpability, as well as his problematic home life, early exposure to pornography, and substance abuse issues.
The defence, led by Colman Cody SC, argued that Mr Kelly had rehabilitated to some extent, was at low risk of reoffending, and that his guilty plea – though late – spared the victim from having to give evidence.
For the victim, however, the sentence is woefully inadequate for five counts of rape. When asked if she would prefer Mr Kelly to move away from the area, she was clear about her priority: “That would be good, but I’d prefer if he got a longer time in jail.”
Now she faces the prospect of his release in less than two years – something she dreads. Her primary concern remains the safety of other children, and that is why she has chosen to speak out despite the personal cost.
“I was only a little girl,” she said, a simple statement that speaks volumes about the innocence stolen and the justice she feels has not been served.
