Teenager "coerced to accuse father of rape"

A TEENAGE mother was blackmailed and coerced by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the gardai into telling a jury her father…

A TEENAGE mother was blackmailed and coerced by the Director of Public Prosecutions and the gardai into telling a jury her father raped her, the Central Criminal Court has been told.

Mr Barry White SC, defending, told Mr Justice Shanley and a jury they had witnessed "an abhorrent scene" over two days when the now 18 year old woman was giving evidence via the court's video link system.

He claimed the woman said months ago she wished to retract a statement she made to gardai in 1992. But she had been blackmailed with the threat that her infant child would be put into care unless she gave evidence against her father.

"In all my 30 years as a barrister I have never experienced such an appalling thing as was done to this girl at the hands of the authorities. I hope I would never see it again," said Mr White in his closing address to the jury.

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Mr White recalled to the jury that at the start of her evidence the woman broke down and said she did not want to give evidence in the case. He said the defendant said in court on Tuesday that he would plead guilty because of the ordeal his daughter was forced into by the DPP.

"He was ready to do this simply to stop the appalling spectacle we all witnessed," counsel added.

Earlier the 38 year old widower denied he had raped, buggered and sexually assaulted his then 14 year old daughter in November 1992.

"I didn't rape my daughter. She is telling lies. She made up these allegations because she couldn't get her own way," he said.

The defendant also alleged his daughter was encouraged to make the claims by his mother in law. He told the jury that she "was always causing trouble" and "was going out with a Special Branch man".

He said he had not spoken to his mother in law since his wife died in a car accident in 1988. He was driving the car and a brother in law was also killed. She had shouted at him in the Coroner's Court.

Replying to Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, in cross examination, the defendant said he could not explain how semen was found at his daughter's anal passage. Nor could he explain how a doctor found certain marks in her genital area.

It was the third day of his trial on five charges arising out of alleged incidents on November 8th-9th, 1992 in the family home. He has denied raping his daughter, buggering her, committing incest and sexually assaulting her twice.

The hearing continues today with Mr Justice Shanley's charge to the jury of six men and six women. The jury will then retire to consider its verdict.