Abuse case 'shows need for constitutional change'

THE CASE involving a father and mother who sexually abused their six children “starkly illustrates the need for constitutional change”, Fine Gael’s front bench spokesman on children Alan Shatter has said.

He was speaking following the conviction on Monday at the Central Criminal Court of a man who was found guilty of the systemic sexual abuse of his son over a period of three years.

The man’s wife had already been given a seven-year prison sentence for incest.

Mr Shatter said the case showed the “grotesque and indefensible failure” of the then Western Health Board to effectively intervene on behalf of the family. He said he had been fighting since the 1970s for children’s rights to be expressly enshrined in the Constitution.

CARI, which provides therapy to children who have experienced sexual abuse, said the case was exceptional, because the Constitution was invoked to allow the parents to continue the sexual abuse.

She was referring to the High Court action taken by the mother of the abused children in 2000 opposing their proposed removal into care. Chief executive Mary Flaherty said the case was unexceptional otherwise, and revealed well-known patterns of abuse.

“In most sexual abuse cases abusers deny their abuse right to the very end. It is not uncommon in intrafamilial abuse that the abuser has also groomed or intimidated the mother to facilitate or ignore the abuse,” she said.

She said it had been a “tragedy” that an amendment protecting the rights of children had not been introduced 30 years after the Kilkenny incest case.

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre chief executive Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop praised the actions of the son who had helped bring the case against his father.

She also criticised the decision to allow his sexual history to be used in the defence case.

“This young man has done a great service on behalf of society in following through with this case and getting a conviction.

“In a case of childhood sexual abuse we believe it has no place. There is no doubt but this was used in an attempt to discredit the victim,” she said.