Jury returns some guilty verdicts in long-running familial abuse trial

By Isabel Hayes and Eimear Dodd

The jury in the trial of six men accused of sexually abusing their deaf relative has returned two guilty verdicts in relation to one uncle.

The 48-year-old man, referred to as Accused B, was on Friday convicted of two counts of raping his niece on two occasions between 2008 and 2014.

The jury is continuing its deliberations in relation to two further counts against this man as well as 16 further charges pertaining to the other five defendants.

The trial started last October and the jury began deliberating on Wednesday.

The six men on trial, aged between 33 and 55, face a combined total of 20 charges - 16 of which pertain to the main complainant, who is deaf.

They are her three uncles and her three younger brothers. All of the men deny any wrongdoing and have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The abuse is alleged to have occurred over a 19-year period between 1995 and 2014. None of the parties can be named for legal reasons.

Shortly before the two verdicts were handed down, five hours into their deliberations, Justice Caroline Biggs told the jury that the timeframe on two of the counts pertaining to Accused B would be amended “based on his admissions”.

The court heard this man admitted to gardaí that he had sex with his niece when she was in her early 20s.

The jury found him guilty unanimously of one count of raping her at her grandparents' house on a date between July 2008 and December 2012.

They also found him guilty of a count of raping her at the same location on an amended date between December 2008 and January 2014.

He faces two more counts of raping her and anally raping her in the same location on dates between September and December 2006.

The trial started with seven defendants facing a combined total of 103 charges, but one of the brothers (aged 34) had all 22 charges against him withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) towards the end of the trial. A further 61 charges against the remaining six defendants were also withdrawn by the DPP.

Accused A – the woman's 55-year-old uncle - is accused of a single count of raping the main complainant on a date between December 2009 and April 2011.

Accused C (35) is accused of 10 counts against his sister. These comprise three of rape, two counts of anal rape and one count of sexual assault, all allegedly committed against the main complainant, between 2003 and 2010.

Accused C is further charged with the sexual abuse of two of his younger sisters. He has denied one count of sexual assault in relation to one sister, Complainant 2, on a date between 2005 and 2006 when she was a child. He is further charged with two counts of raping her on dates between 2015 and 2018.

He has also denied one count of anally raping a third sister, Complainant 3, on a date between 2010 and 2014.

Accused E (33) is accused of two counts of anal rape of the main complainant between 2007 and 2009.

Another brother, Accused F (also 33), is accused of two counts of raping her on dates between 2007 and 2009.

A third uncle, Accused G (46), has denied a single count of raping the main complainant on a date between 1995 and 1996.

The trial continues, with the jury expected to resume deliberations on Monday.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.