A Louth man who sexually assaulted his niece had himself been a victim of sexual abuse, Dundalk Circuit Court was told yesterday. Judge Raymond Groarke sentenced the man to five years' imprisonment for each offence to run concurrently. He imposed reporting restrictions.
The defendant, who is aged 30, single and unemployed, pleaded guilty to 14 counts of sexual assault between April 1994 and June 1997.
Judge Groarke said he would suspend the last three years of the sentence if the man underwent counselling while in jail.
Garda Sgt Bill Piper said the assaults continued until the girl was 12 years when she told her mother about them. They occurred when the child visited her grandmother's house and began with fondling on the outside of her clothes. As time progressed this became touching under her clothing.
She disclosed the assaults to her mother last June and on September 17th the defendant went voluntarily to a Garda station and made a statement. He said the assaults had included inserting his finger into her body but he had never exposed himself to her or asked her to keep quiet. In the last couple of years, this had happened three-four times a week. Sgt Piper said the accused man could not understand his behaviour but it could have to do with assaults perpetrated on him when he was in school. He did not make a complaint, however.
A Victim Impact Report said there has been a significant impact on the girl's mental health and functioning of her family. She has low self-esteem and suffers from depression and behavioural difficulties.
Judge Groarke said she had been robbed of her innocence and the abuse started through ordinary family affection but quickly turned to assault.
There were many offences and the man abused the trust of the girl and her family.
The defendant had co-operated with gardai. He has a close-knit family and his sister asked for him not to be sentenced, the court heard.