A woman who was raped and sexually abused by her stepfather as a young child has praised the dedication of the detective who worked on the case for more than 25 years.
Christina Hayes (36) waived her right to anonymity to allow her stepfather, Tommy Barry, to be named in reporting of the case.
Barry (67) was jailed for 12½ years on Monday by Judge Karen O’Connor at the Central Criminal Court.
In her victim impact statement, Hayes said that now-retired detective garda Maria Flynn “never stopped seeking justice on my behalf”, praising the investigator’s “dedication and persistence”.
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She further acknowledged her primary school teacher, who alerted authorities in early 1999, when the then seven-year-old girl filled out a worksheet during school which stated: “I feel disappointed when my Da has sex with me.”
The teacher reported the incident to the Health Service Executive (HSE) and the girl was moved from her family home to live with her grandparents, while gardaí were alerted.
“Her actions helped to bring the truth to light,” Hayes stated, thanking her teacher for the support she gave her as a small child. “I will always be forever grateful to her.”
Barry (67), of St Jude’s Gardens, Dublin 1, denied any wrongdoing. He was convicted at the Central Criminal Court following a two-week trial in January of six sample counts of sexual assault and two sample counts of rape of the child when she was between six and seven years old on dates between 1996 and 1998.
His stepdaughter outlined in her victim impact statement – described by the sentencing judge as “one of the most eloquent” she had ever received – how she suffered from depression and anxiety and her relationships with men were impacted.
“The abuse affected my sense of self-worth, how I saw myself and how I let others treat me. It influenced the choices I made,” she said.
She said she has worked hard to build a life for herself and her young daughter, saying that she is determined to protect her child and to ensure that “she grows up safe and valued”.
“I lost the person I could have been without the world of abuse and the ripple effects.”
She spoke of carrying the weight of the shame, fear and anger.
“The child I once was deserves to be heard. A child who had no voice and could not protect herself. I am speaking for that little girl who was robbed of her potential.”
She said she finds it “deeply painful” that Barry has shown no remorse even though he has had such a long time to reflect on his actions.
“It is as if the harm I suffered has been dismissed. No child should ever have to experience abuse from someone they trust,” she said.
“It will be my life’s mission to not let it define who I am,” she said.
Flynn told prosecuting barrister Eilis Brennan that she first became involved in the case when a statement was taken from the child in April 1999.
At the time Barry was serving a prison sentence.
Flynn asked to be informed as soon as he was released from prison but in July 1999, having been moved to Shelton Abbey prison in Co Wicklow, he escaped from jail.
In 2003, she received information that he been working in a pub in the UK. She made attempts to locate him but was unsuccessful.
In early 2016, Flynn was informed of a photograph of Barry on Facebook from two or three years previously and she started the search again. This ultimately led to a fingerprint check in July 2016 with the UK authorities.
A positive match was identified and it transpired that Barry had been living under a number of different aliases.
Christina Hayes was then asked to review the statement she had made 17 years previously and she indicated that Barry had raped her. This enabled gardaí to upgrade their investigation and secure a European Arrest Warrant.
Barry was charged and extradited back to Ireland to face trial.
Sentencing Barry, the judge acknowledged the work of Hayes’s primary school teacher, who she said “was extraordinarily attentive and thoughtful in how she addressed matters when a young child was making such comments”.
“The level of depravity is incalculable,” O’Connor said before she set a headline sentence of 14½ years for the rape offence and eight years for the sexual assault offences.
She then imposed concurrent sentences of 12½ years and 6½ years in prison. The sentence was backdated to when Barry first went into custody.
O’Connor acknowledged the “Trojan efforts” made by former detective Flynn in her efforts to catch Barry and bring him to justice.
