A woman hanged herself as a direct result of sexual abuse during her childhood in Co Dublin, an inquest heard yesterday.
The woman named was a sister of a woman, identified in the news media as Niamh, who recently told the Dublin County Coroners Court that she was the mother of a baby girl discovered stabbed to death in a lane in Dún Laoghaire, Co Dublin, in 1973.
The inquest yesterday heard that the woman's body was discovered on February 24th, 2005.
A male witness, described as her best friend, said the 33-year-old's suicide at the apartment she rented in Cabra Park in Phibsboro, Dublin, was directly linked to the sexual abuse she had suffered.
"I knew her 11 years - one day she would be fine, the next day she would be like that," he said. "It [ sexual abuse] was mentioned many times."
The witness said she had mentioned that she used to run away from her home to her sister, who was 10 years older.
Her sister Niamh, who had moved to England, saw her for the first time in nine years last February.
Niamh, who is now in her forties, has claimed the dead baby found in the laneway in Dún Laoghaire was one of two she gave birth to as a young teenager as a result of sexual abuse during the 1970s in Co Dublin.
Niamh told the inquest that her sister "was very distressed and told me she was suicidal as a result of sexual abuse as a child. She was battling sexual abuse all her life, she couldn't hold down a job because of it."
The packed Dublin City Coroners Court heard that during her life, the deceased had suffered flashbacks and nightmares.
"She felt angry and cheated as the person who had abused her had not been made pay," the witness said.
Niamh said her sister felt she could not cope after another brother's body, who had also been sexually abused, was found. She had also spoken of another brother who died in 1995.
"She told me I was wasting my time and I wouldn't get justice." The inquest heard the deceased said she had lost all faith in life and felt no one cared. She felt the only peace she would get was to end her life," Niamh said.
Dr Teresa Coll, who was the deceased's GP, said he patient was distressed that she had lost two brothers at such young ages and meeting her sister again had meant a lot to her.
Dr Coll said she was concerned at betraying confidence but she had heard further details about the sexual abuse that were not revealed in court. The pathologist found she had died from asphyxiation due to hanging.
Sgt Declan Healy from Mountjoy Garda station said a 33- page letter addressed to her sister was found at the scene of the death. "It explained the pain the deceased was in around the time of her death," he said.
"She was abused as a young person. During the course of life to get away from that, she had to leave the family home."
Coroner Dr Brian Farrell, who passed a verdict of death by suicide, said he sympathised with the family but could not go into it for legal reasons.
"I don't think I have ever seen so many friends in court at one time," he said. "I can see she was an extremely popular person and loved by many people. [She] is at peace now but the rest of you are all left with the sorrow and tragedy of her death."