Alleged IRA man who raped two boys left victim’s life ‘in tatters’

Brion Hoban

The victim of an alleged IRA man who raped two teenage boys at a “republican safe house” two decades ago said his dream life was in “tatters” from the moment the man entered his house.

Seamus Marley (45) of Belfield Court, Stillorgan Road, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to charges of sexually assaulting and anally raping two boys in Co Louth on dates in the early 1990's.

After a six day trial, the jury returned unanimous guilty verdicts on a total of six counts of sexual assault and two counts of rape.

A character reference from Marley’s pastor described him as “an excellent Christian” with a “charitable spirit”.

During the trial Patrick Gageby SC, prosecuting, told the jury that the two complainants lived in a large home owned by a “dedicated republican” and that it began to be used as a “safe house”.

Detective Garda Seamus Nolan told Mr Gageby that Marley was one of these guests and that he was welcomed into the family.

The older of the two victims woke up one night to find Marley anally raping him. After the incident, Marley warned him off telling anyone what had happened and said he “could be found dead on a border road”.

The younger victim was given alcohol by Marley and was groped or masturbated by him on three or four occasions.

On another occasion, the child awoke to find Marley “sucking his penis”, Mr Gageby told the court. Counsel said that the victim was later anally raped by Marley in a tent nearby his house.

Marley has no previous convictions. The court heard that he is from a large family in Belfast and that his father was murdered by loyalist paramilitaries.

In his victim impact statement, which was read out in court, the older victim said he has spent the previous 27 years living in despair and looking over his shoulder. He said he had finally reached the end of the tunnel and was taking his life back.

The younger victim, who also read his victim impact statement, said that as the house was beside a graveyard they had “quiet neighbours, dead ones. He said that he had learned that it is “not the dead we should be afraid of, but the living”.

He said that Marley “preyed on me, groomed me, abused me and raped me”. He said the life he had dreamed of was in “tatters” from the moment Marley entered the house.

“Marley was always lurking in the back of my mind,” the man said. He said in the years subsequent to the abuse he suffered panic attacks and experienced a “deep depression so black” it was hard to put into words.

He said the “fabrication of stories” to discredit him made the trial so much harder.

John Fitzgerald SC, defending, said that his client has been in a relationship for 16 years and that his partner had been present in court throughout the trial. He handed in a letter from Marley’s pastor which described him as being “an excellent Christian” who possessed a “charitable spirit”.

Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded Marley in custody and adjourned the matter for sentencing on Thursday.