Ireland Crime

Named as

Victim

Offences

Rape and sexual assault

Where

Co. Laois

Reporting

7 reports, 28 Jun 2022 to 19 May 2023

Outlets

offalyexpress.ie, leinsterexpress.ie, kildarenow.com, irishtimes.com

• Court of Appeal increases rape sentence for Portlaoise man Rape and sexual assault · Co. Laois

  Christopher Rafter, 49, of The Hermitage, Portlaoise, County Laois, pleaded guilty to the rape and sexual assault of his two younger sisters, Linda Rafter and Dolores Prendergast, at the family home between 1989 and 1993 when he was aged 14 to 19. The sisters, who were aged between 6 and 10 and 9 and 11 at the time, made a complaint to gardaí in 2018. On 28 June 2022, Mr Justice Paul McDermott at the Central Criminal Court sentenced Rafter to four and a half years' imprisonment. The State appealed the sentence as unduly lenient, and in May 2023 the Court of Appeal quashed it and re-sentenced Rafter to seven years' imprisonment with the final 12 months suspended, though one report's headline stated six years.

  Sentenced, 28 Jun 2022Victim · 7 reports

Each entry shows how that report described them.

1. 19 May2023
   Sentencedoffalyexpress.ie, in Court of Appeal increases rape sentence for Portlaoise man

   Man in the Midlands who systematically raped and abused his two younger sisters has jail sentence increased

   victim, Dolores Prendergast, female, irish (judged from name)Dolores Prendergast♀IE
2. 25 Apr2023
   In courtoffalyexpress.ie, in Court of Appeal increases rape sentence for Portlaoise man

   State appeals 'unduly lenient' sentence of man who raped his younger sisters in the Midlands

   victim, Dolores Prendergast, female, irish (judged from name)Dolores Prendergast♀IE
3. 24 Apr2023
   In courtleinsterexpress.ie, in Court of Appeal increases rape sentence for Portlaoise man

   State appeals 'unduly lenient' sentence of man who raped his younger sisters in Laois

   victim, Dolores Prendergast, female, irish (judged from name)Dolores Prendergast♀IE
4. 29 Jun2022
   Sentencedoffalyexpress.ie, in Court of Appeal increases rape sentence for Portlaoise man

   Judge critical of family of man in Midlands jailed for rape of two of his sisters

   victim, Dolores Prendergast, female, irish (judged from name)Dolores Prendergast♀IE
5. 28 Jun2022
   Sentencedleinsterexpress.ie, in Court of Appeal increases rape sentence for Portlaoise man

   Judge critical of family of Laois man jailed for rape of two of his sisters

   victim, Dolores Prendergast, female, irish (judged from name)Dolores Prendergast♀IE
6. 28 Jun2022
   Sentencedkildarenow.com, in Court of Appeal increases rape sentence for Portlaoise man

   Judge slams family of midlands man jailed for the rape, sexual abuse of two of his sisters

   victim, Dolores Prendergast, female, irish (judged from name)Dolores Prendergast♀IE
7. 28 Jun2022
   Sentencedirishtimes.com, in Court of Appeal increases rape sentence for Portlaoise man

   ‘Inside those four walls I had no protection’: Man jailed for rape of two sisters

   victim, Dolores Prendergast, female, irish (judged from name)Dolores Prendergast♀IE

Matched on the name as printed, ignoring quoted nicknames, and split by the ages reported. Two people who share a name and age would appear together here.