Tag Archives: rape

A TEENAGER in the 1960s, Seán (not his real name) became the target of a sexual predator but kept the ensuing trauma entirely to himself for well over 30 years. Although he kept it hidden, the pain still bubbled up throughout his life, leading to depression and what he calls “unhealthy relationships in the past” with drink, gambling and drugs. Only recently has he found support through the Rape Crisis Centre in Ennis, which he feels can finally help to free him from the effects of his experience. Coming to The Clare Champion offices last Friday to talk about his devastating teenage experience was very hard for him but he did it to show other people that there is help available to deal with their pain. “I’m sweating now just talking to you about it, even though I’m glad to talk about it. I know, on one level, that I haven’t done anything wrong and I haven’t anything to be …

A man “of some standing” in his community who repeatedly raped his friend’s daughter when she was a child has been jailed for eight years. Noel Kelleher (64) was found guilty by a jury of six counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of oral rape and one count of attempted oral rape of his victim at various locations in County Clare between June 1991 and August 1992. Kelleher, of Gort na hAbhna, Roslevan, Ennis, was found not guilty of a further 16 counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault by the jury following a Central Criminal Court trial last November. His victim, who was aged between 12 and 14 at the time of the attacks, wished to waive her right to anonymity, the court heard. Sentencing Kelleher on Monday, Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy said his abuse had a “deep and long-lasting impact” on his victim, which continues to this day. “These are very serious offences perpetrated …

A woman who was repeatedly raped by a family friend as a child has faced her abuser in the Central Criminal Court, saying, “he has no shame”. Noel Kelleher (64) was found guilty by a jury of six counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, three counts of oral rape and one count of attempted oral rape of his victim at various locations in County Clare between June 1991 and August 1992. Kelleher of Gort na hAbhna, Roslevan, Ennis was found not guilty of a further 16 counts of rape, indecent assault and sexual assault by the jury following a Central Criminal Court trial last November. Kelleher will now be a registered sex offender. His victim, who was aged between 12 and 14 at the time of the attacks, wished to waive her right to anonymity, the court heard. Kelleher was in his late thirties and married when he carried out the abuse. Detective Garda Claire O’Shaughnessy told his …

A 64-year-old Clare businessman is to be sentenced early in the new year, having been found guilty of multiple counts of rape, oral rape and indecent assault at the Central Criminal Court. The man, who is from County Clare but cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Justice Isobel Kennedy late last month facing multiple counts of rape, oral rape, sexual assault and indecent assault on a young teenager 27 years ago. The charges are alleged to have taken place on various dates between December 8, 1989 and March 31, 1992 at various locations within the county. At the time, the complainant would have been between 12 and 14 years of age. The trial opened initially on Thursday, November 23 but due to an issue with the availability of a juror, the case was rescheduled to start before a new jury on Monday, November 27. The trial concluded at the Central Criminal Court on Wednesday, December 6, when the …

A 62-YEAR-old man has appeared in court charged with the rape, sexual assault and indecent assault of a young teenager 27 years ago. The man, who is from County Clare and cannot be named for legal reasons, is charged with 11 counts of rape, four counts of oral rape, six counts of sexual assault and four counts of indecent assault on the same female. The charges are alleged to have taken place on various dates and at various locations within County Clare between December 18, 1989 and March 31, 1992, when the complainant would have been between 12 and 14 years of age. At a sitting of Ennis District Court, Detective Garda Claire O’Shaughnessy gave evidence of arresting the man and informed the court that the accused made no reply to any of the charges after caution. The man, who appeared in custody, was admitted to bail on his own bond of €500, subject to conditions that he reside at …

AN elderly man who admitted molesting and trying to rape his niece with special needs is to be sentenced next month. The 75-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s anonymity, tried to rape the young teenager 10 years ago. In her victim impact report, the now adult woman said she was still afraid of the man and that her plans for her life changed as a result of the abuse. The man pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on Wednesday to attempted rape and the sexual assault of the child at a place in county Cork on unknown dates between 2005 and 2008. The victim was aged between 11 and 14 at the time. He also admitted attempted rape of the victim at a place in County Limerick on an unknown date between 2011 and 2012 and sexually assaulting her on December 23, 2011. He has no previous convictions. The investigating garda told Martina Baxter …

Survivors of rape and sexual assault are waiting between six and nine months for counselling at the Ennis branch of the Rape Crisis Midwest, due to increased demand for services and cuts to funding, it has emerged. Last year, the Ennis centre, along with the one in Nenagh, were forced to close for a month, due to a funding shortfall. The funding situation remains “critical”. Ann Ginnane, counsellor and psychotherapist with the Ennis centre, explained that while the waiting times are lengthy, people who present in crisis are prioritised. “Of our clients, 70% approximately would have suffered historic sexual abuse and 30% would be people who have been recently raped. We have a waiting list of about six to nine months, as we are only open here in Ennis two days a week. “But when there is an emergency, or if someone contacts us in crisis, we try to prioritise them. We always follow up. We never leave people out …

By Jessica Magee and Emer Connolly A Kilmihil man who raped a Brazilian woman he had asked to clean his house has been sentenced to seven and a half years, after a judge said he couldn’t “buy himself out” of a custodial sentence. Father-of-four Thomas Egan (47), a developer, of Cahermurphy, Kilmihill, paid over €10,000 in court to be forwarded to his victim, who has since returned to Brazil. Mr Justice Barry White suspended the final three and a half years of the sentence, noting that Egan had a previous “unblemished record” apart from a minor road traffic offence. Egan was convicted last May by a jury at the Central Criminal Court of raping the 23 year-old woman at a house in Tipperary on July 5, 2010. He had denied the charge. Egan admitted having sex with the woman, but told gardaí it was consensual and that she had not shown any fear. During the trial, Seán Gillane SC prosecuting, …