Sunday 1 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 21938Rape

Woman and partner sentenced for rape of children in Connacht

A 40-year-old woman and her 52-year-old partner were convicted of raping and sexually abusing her five-year-old daughter and three-and-a-half-year-old son at two locations in Connacht between October 2012 and September 2014. The abuse came to light after the children separately made disclosures to their foster parents after being taken into care. The man was convicted in November 2022 of rape, oral rape, and false imprisonment of the girl, and oral rape, anal rape, and sexual assault of the boy, while the woman was convicted of sexual assault, sexual exploitation, oral rape on joint enterprise, false imprisonment, and reckless endangerment. In March 2023, Mr Justice David Keane at the Central Criminal Court sentenced the man to 19 years and the woman to 14 years in prison.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced13 Mar
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The 40-year-old woman and 52-year-old man were convicted of raping and sexually abusing her young daughter and son.
  • The girl was tied or glued to a chair while her mother and the man went to the pub, and the boy was awoken by the man during the night and made to perform oral sex.
Where
The abuse took place at two locations in Connacht.
When
The abuse occurred on dates between October 2012 and September 2014.
Investigation
The abuse came to light after the children separately made disclosures to their foster parents after being taken into care.
Charges
  • The man was convicted of one count of raping the girl, six counts of oral rape, one count of falsely imprisoning her, one charge of oral rape of the boy, one charge of anal rape, and one charge of sexually assaulting the boy.
  • The woman was convicted of four counts of sexually assaulting her daughter, four counts of sexual exploitation, four counts of oral rape on joint enterprise, one count of false imprisonment, and one count of reckless endangerment in relation to each child.
In court
The trial lasted six weeks and the man was convicted in November 2022.
Sentence
Mr Justice David Keane at the Central Criminal Court sentenced the man to 19 years and the woman to 14 years in prison.
Other details
  • Both defendants were ordered to be supervised by the Probation Service for two years post-release and added to the sexual offenders register.
  • The woman has a total of seven children, one of whom is now an adult.
20 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe woman was 40 years old and the man was 52 years old at the time of trial (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe girl was tied to a chair while her mother and the man went to the pub (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe girl said she had been glued to the chair (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe boy was awoken by the man during the night and made to perform oral sex on him (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe abuse took place at two locations in Connacht (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe abuse occurred on dates between October 2012 and September 2014 (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe abuse came to light after the children separately made disclosures to their foster parents after being taken into care (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe man was convicted of one count of raping the girl, six counts of oral rape, and one count of falsely imprisoning her (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe man was convicted of one charge of oral rape, one charge of anal rape, and one charge of sexually assaulting the boy (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe woman was convicted of four counts of sexually assaulting her daughter, four counts of sexual exploitation, four counts of oral rape on the basis of joint enterprise, one count of false imprisonment, and one count of reckless endangerment (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe woman was convicted of one count of reckless endangerment in relation to her son (irishtimes.com)
  • courtSentencing was imposed at the Central Criminal Court by Mr Justice David Keane (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe trial lasted six weeks (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe man was convicted in November 2022 (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe man was sentenced to 19 years in prison (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe woman was sentenced to 14 years in prison (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceThe man's sentences were 19 years for rape, 6 years for false imprisonment, and 8 years for sexual assaults, all to run concurrently (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceBoth defendants were ordered to be supervised by the Probation Service for two years post-release (irishtimes.com)
  • otherBoth defendants were ordered to be added to the sexual offenders register (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe woman has a total of seven children, one of whom is now an adult (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 13 Mar2023
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Woman and her partner given lengthy prison sentences for rape and abuse of her two young children

    Reports the sentencing of both defendants at the Central Criminal Court, including the judge's reasoning, sentence breakdowns, and victim impact statements from the children's foster mothers.

    victim, 5, femalevictim, 3, maleconvicted, 40, femaleconvicted, 52, male