Tag Archives: sexual assault

Rape Crisis Mid-West says it has received 1,120 calls in first eight months of 2021 MORE Clare victims of sexual assault are seeking support from a regional support centre following a 29% rise in non-aggravated local cases over a 12-month period. The number of sexual assaults, which were not aggravated in the Clare Garda Division, rose from 17 from January to August 2020 to 22 for the same period in 2021. This increase was revealed at a Joint Policing Committee meeting this week. Rape Crisis Mid-West Centre, which deals with calls and counselling services in Limerick, Nenagh and Ennis, has experienced a major increase in calls for support over the last 12 months. This has resulted in an increase in waiting times, with some victims waiting up to seven or eight months for regular non-emergency counselling. In an interview with the Clare Champion, Rape Crisis Mid-West director, Miriam Duffy, revealed the centre has received 1,120 calls for the first eight …

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 RECENTLY married man described as “heavily involved” with a Christian church has pleaded guilty to sexual assault and has been ordered to pay €1,000 to the court discretionary fund. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Ennis District Court this week charged with sexual assault on dates unknown between September 1, 2013 and December 31, 2013. The injured party had been staying in an apartment in West Clare and as part of the arrangement, he shared a double bed with the accused. The court was told in evidence that one morning, the injured party woke to discover the accused’s hand on his penis. He became alarmed and jumped out of bed and made a complaint of sexual assault to the gardaí. The accused told gardaí that his “emotions overcame him” and that this was the first time something like this had happened. Solicitor for the accused Will Cahir outlined that his client had no previous …

A SURVIVOR of historic childhood sexual abuse has spoken out in the hope that it will encourage others to seek support and highlight the importance of volunteers to Rape Crisis Midwest. Bill (not his real name) and his sister were abused by a stepbrother. The abuse began when Bill was just six and lasted until he was 12. “It was pretty horrific. It had a really big impact on my life,” he said. His story has been released by Rape Crisis Midwest, ahead of a volunteer information evening on Wednesday, March 15 at 6pm in its Limerick centre. Volunteers are vital to the work of Rape Crisis Midwest, providing support to people like Bill and many others in the region. Bill remembers that his violent abuser was thrown out of the home when the abuse of his sister came to light, though Bill himself did not disclose what was happening to him at the time. Though his abuser was gone, …

A Clare man has received a sentence of three years imprisonment for the sexual assault of an eight-year-old girl during a sleep over. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is already serving a term of 15 years imprisonment for the abuse of a female relative. In that case he began regularly raping the child in his own flat from when she was aged nine. Last month the 49-year-old was convicted by a jury after a trial at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of the sexual assault of a girl during a sleepover with other children at his home on November 11, 2005. He had denied the charge. On Friday last, Keith Spencer BL, defending, told Judge Patricia Ryan that the man did not accept the verdict of the jury and would appeal the conviction. The man has 41 previous convictions, which include the convictions of sexual assault and rape from the Central Criminal Court earlier this year. The …

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 …

A Clare man threatened to kill his partner’s nine year-old daughter if she told anyone of his sexual abuse, the Central Criminal Court has heard. The three-year period of severe abuse was only uncovered when the victim’s younger brother, who was five years-old, told their aunt. The court heard the girl is now “extremely traumatised.” The twenty-five year old man pleaded guilty to one sample count each of anal rape and sexual assault of the girl between 2009 and 2012 in County Clare. Mr Justice Tony Hunt remanded the man in continuing custody for sentence to next Monday. The abuse began when the man moved in with the victim’s mother and lasted until the return of the victim’s aunt from overseas. The parties in the case cannot be identified for legal reasons. A local garda told Anthony Sammon, SC, prosecuting, that the aunt asked the victim and her brother how the man was treating them. The five year-old boy began …

A County Clare man has been convicted of sexually assaulting a one-year-old baby 10 years ago. The 45-year-old had pleaded not guilty in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual assault between April 2005 and October 2006 in County Clare. The man was arrested on July 26, 2011 and denied the allegations when questioned by gardaí He was previously sentenced to 12 years for sexually abusing two young girls. He will be sentenced in April on this new conviction. After a three-day trial, a jury of nine men and three women returned a majority guilty verdict after deliberating for just under four hours on this Friday. Judge Sarah Berkley remanded in custody for sentencing on April 14 next. By Angela Mullin s