Case No. 1330Rape, sexual assault, facilitating rape · 1 Jan 2003
Woman and uncle convicted of rape and sexual assault of daughter more than 20 years ago
A woman alleged that her mother and uncle sexually abused her between the ages of 3½ and 15, and that a family friend orally raped her, with the offences occurring mainly at the family home within the State between 2000 and 2014. The three defendants, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded not guilty to a total of 21 charges at the Central Criminal Court before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon. On 14 July 2025, the jury convicted the mother, in her 50s, of one count of facilitating rape and two counts of sexual assault, and convicted the uncle, in his 40s, of one count of rape, while failing to reach a verdict on the third accused, a man in his 50s. The mother and uncle were remanded into custody with a sentence date set for October 2025, and the third accused was remanded on continuing bail for the prosecution to seek instructions from the DPP.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In court1 Jul
2 reports - Convicted14 Jul
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A woman alleged her mother and uncle sexually abused her between the ages of 3½ and 15, and a family friend orally raped her.
- Where
- The offences mainly occurred at the family home within the State, with two counts of sexual assault at a family-owned holiday home.
- When
- The alleged offences occurred on dates between 2000 and 2014.
- Charges
- The mother, in her 50s, faced 13 counts of sexual assault and one count of facilitating rape; the uncle, in his 40s, faced five counts of rape and one of oral rape; and a third man, in his 50s, faced one count of oral rape.
- In court
- The trial was at the Central Criminal Court before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon.
- On 14 July 2025, the jury convicted the mother of one count of rape (facilitating) and two counts of sexual assault, and convicted the uncle of one count of rape.
- The jury acquitted the mother of two counts, was unable to reach a verdict on two further counts, and the judge directed not guilty verdicts on seven further counts.
- Jurors were unable to reach a verdict on the third accused after 10 hours and 15 minutes of deliberation.
- Sentence
- The mother and uncle were remanded into custody and a sentence date was set for October 2025.
- The third accused was remanded on continuing bail for the prosecution to seek instructions from the DPP.
- Investigation
- The complainant went to the Rape Crisis Centre for counselling in mid-2019.
- Other details
- The three defendants cannot be named for legal reasons, and the third man was a friend of the accused woman's then partner.
53 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThe complainant said her mother left the room, returning with her uncle who then raped her. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe complainant said she had blocked out memories but they started to come back. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe complainant said her uncle orally raped her in his bedroom on another occasion when she believed she was eight. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe complainant saw her mother and uncle engage in sex with each other while she was present in a room when she was around six. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe complainant said when she was 13, the man came into the room where she was playing on a PlayStation, then locked the door. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe woman was convicted of one count of rape (facilitating) and two counts of sexual assault of her daughter. (irishtimes.com)
- whatHer brother was convicted of one count of raping the girl. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe girl was aged between 3½ and 15 years at the time of the alleged abuse. (irishtimes.com)
- whatJurors were unable to reach a verdict on the third accused after 10 hours and 15 minutes of deliberation. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe three defendants pleaded not guilty to a total of 21 charges. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe woman was on trial for 13 counts of sexual assault on dates between 2000 and 2014. (irishtimes.com)
- whatShe was found guilty of facilitating the rape of the complainant by her uncle between 2003 and 2004. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe jury acquitted the woman of two counts and was unable to reach a verdict on two further counts. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe judge directed the jury to return not guilty verdicts on seven further counts of sexual assault for legal reasons. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe uncle was convicted of one count of raping the girl on a date between 2003 and 2004. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe third accused, a man in his 50s, pleaded not guilty to one count of oral rape between 2008 and 2009. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe complainant lived with her mother, uncle and three other adult relatives when she was a child, and all adults had issues with alcohol. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe complainant was 3½ when her mother first sexually assaulted her in their bedroom. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe complainant was about 5½ when she was raped for the first time by her uncle. (irishtimes.com)
- whatDuring the first rape, the complainant was watching TV in her uncle's bedroom and her mother left the room, returning with him, and remained in the room. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe complainant saw her mother and uncle engage in sex with each other when she was around six. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe offences mainly occurred at the family home within the State (irishmirror.ie)
- whereTwo counts of sexual assault occurred at a family-owned holiday home. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe alleged offences occurred on dates between 2000 and 2014 (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationThe complainant went to the Rape Crisis Centre for counselling in mid-2019. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe mother, in her 50s, pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of sexual assault between 2000 and 2009 and between 2012 and 2014 (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe mother also pleaded not guilty to one count of facilitating the rape of the complainant by her uncle (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe uncle, in his 40s, pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and one of oral rape between 2003 and 2012 (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe third man, in his 50s, pleaded not guilty to one count of oral rape between 2008 and 2009 (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe uncle pleaded not guilty to five counts of rape and one of oral rape on dates between 2003 and 2012. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe family friend, aged in his 50s, pleaded not guilty to one count of oral rape between 2008 and 2009 at the same address. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe mother, in her 50s, pleaded not guilty to 13 counts of sexual assault on dates between 2000 and 2009, and between 2012 and 2014. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe mother also pleaded not guilty to one count of rape, in that she facilitated the rape of the complainant by her uncle. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial is at the Central Criminal Court before Ms Justice Eileen Creedon (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe trial at the Central Criminal Court continues. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe woman and the uncle were remanded into custody and a sentence date was set in October. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe third accused was remanded on continuing bail for the prosecution to seek instructions from the DPP. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe three defendants cannot be named for legal reasons (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe third man was a friend of the accused woman's then partner (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant said she was about five and a half when her uncle first raped her in his bedroom (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant said her mother left the room and returned with her uncle who then raped her (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant said she saw her mother and uncle engage in sex with each other when she was around six (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant agreed the adults in the house, including her mother, all had issues with alcohol (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant said her mother came into her room when she was 15 and sexually assaulted her (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant moved in with female family friends at 17 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherSocial services had become involved with the family (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant told a counsellor in 2015 about her mother's drinking (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant said she was afraid of the two female family friends during sessions in 2021 and 2022 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherA counselling note from 2016 states that memories were flooding back and she was unsure if they were real or not. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant did not make allegations of a sexual nature when she spoke to Gardaí in 2015 about a separate matter. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant said she was frightened at the time of the 2015 Gardaí contact and had been encouraged not to trust Gardaí. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe family friend was a friend of the accused woman's then partner. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe complainant told Gardaí she was 11 when the alleged oral rape by the family friend happened, but said she was mistaken. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 14 Jul2025Woman found guilty of facilitating the rape of her daughter more than 20 years ago
Reports the verdicts: the mother convicted of facilitating rape and two counts of sexual assault, the uncle convicted of one count of rape, and the third accused (a friend of the mother's then partner) with no verdict on oral rape. Sentence date set for October.
victim, femaleconvicted, 50s, femaleconvicted, 40s, maleaccused, 50s, male - 2 Jul2025Woman allegedly raped by mum and uncle as a child denies that she 'imagined' it
Reports on the complainant's cross-examination by defence counsel (Michael Lynn SC for the uncle, Desmond Dockery SC for the mother, Damien Colgan SC for the family friend) during the ongoing trial, where she denied suggestions that she imagined the abuse and confirmed her memories were real.
victim, femaleaccused, 50s, femaleaccused, 40s, maleaccused, 50s, male - 1 Jul2025Woman claims mother was present when she was allegedly raped by uncle at age 5
Details of the complainant's cross-examination by defence counsel Desmond Dockery SC, including her testimony about the circumstances of the alleged offences, the chaotic household environment, alcohol issues, and her subsequent living arrangements with female family friends.
victim, femaleaccused, 50s, femaleaccused, 40s, maleaccused, 50s, male