THE STEPDAUGHTER of a man jailed for six years for having sex with her when she was 12 has said she “hopes he rots in hell”.
The now 14-year-old girl said her “life and family’s life has been torn apart” and “today made me realise I was only a child when he raped me”. She said she slit her wrists because of the abuse.
James Rossiter (36), Parkview, Harold’s Cross, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of defilement of the girl on December 27th, 2009 and January 2nd, 2010 at his apartment.
Tara Burns, prosecuting told Judge Martin Nolan “that the girl doesn’t wish the case to be held in camera, she wants it held in open court”, so that Rossiter can be named in the media.
She asked, however, that the girl not be named in any reports of the case.
Garda Eithne O’Flynn told Ms Burns that Rossiter was married but separated from the girl’s mother and lived in an apartment in Harold’s Cross.
Leading up to Christmas 2009, the girl’s mother and Rossiter agreed that the girl and her brother could stay at his apartment between December 26th, 2009 and January 2nd, 2010.
The three slept in the one bed. While the girl was watching television on December 27th, Rossiter started to rub the lower end of her back. She told him a number of times to stop but it resulted in them both kissing. Sexual intercourse then took place.
Similar incidents occurred numerous times on January 2nd, while the girl was still in his apartment. The girl and her stepfather later had an argument and he threatened to tell her mother they had sex.
“The girl took matters into her own hands and sent her mother a text to say she and her stepfather had sex,” Garda O’Flynn said.
Gardaí were called and Rossiter, who had 12 previous convictions, made a number of admissions but claimed that his stepdaughter had instigated the sexual intercourse.
Paul McDermott SC, defending, said Rossiter was a former head chef at An Post and Heuston train station and had a history of abusing cocaine.
“He acknowledges his behaviour was wrong and he is aware of the impact and regrets the harm he caused,” said Mr McDermott.
“Having sexual intercourse with his stepdaughter is deeply inappropriate,” Judge Nolan said, “and what he did is totally wrong as a position of trust has been abused. I am satisfied that he is at a low risk of reoffending and accept he is remorseful.”