Two women, who were sexually abused when they were small children by a member of the Defence Forces, said they came forward to Gardai so that no other child would potentially be harmed by the retired soldier.
The man, 63, who cannot be named at present, is facing a potential maximum ten years in jail, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard.
The man sexually assaulted the two girls, Miss A and Miss B, on different dates in the 1980s when they were aged between three and eight years old.
The two women bravely spoke in court of the trauma they had endured as little girls, at the depraved hands of the retired soldier, forty years ago.
They said they hoped their speaking out and making formal complaints about their abuser would help show “other victims of historic sexual abuse that it is never too late to pursue justice”.
Reading her victim impact statement, just feet from the defendant sitting in the court dock, Miss B said: “Before these heinous acts were committed on me I was a carefree, innocent six-year old little girl who had no idea of sexual behaviour or deviancy.”
“As a child, I was confused and terrified. The person who hurt me was someone who was supposed to protect and serve our community. Instead, he took advantage of my innocence and vulnerability,” she said.
Ms B said the sexual abuse “shattered” her trust in others. “I had never seen a man’s penis before, and the thought and disgusting smell of his penis has stayed with me into adulthood and still makes me feel sick to my stomach.”
She praised her parents “who instantly believed me and brought me to make a statement to gardai”, following the abuse, a week prior to her first holy communion, despite the DPP determining then there would be no prosecution.
Miss B said she struggled with the anxiety “that there are many more (paedophiles) out there, it has affected my family who felt helpless in bringing this pedophile to justice, I watched it have a devastating impact on my parents and siblings”.
“The only reason I have put myself and my family through this is to keep other children safe from this man. He is now a convicted paedophile. I am certain that he thought he would never have to answer for what he did to me but I am relieved that my allegations were finally taken seriously by the DPP and that (the defendant) is being held to account.”
“If (he) had been held accountable when I made my original complaint, (Miss A) may have avoided his depraved actions. My hope is that by making his crimes known to the public he will never have the opportunity to harm another child.”
Miss A said the sexual abuse “warped” her childhood, and that, “despite extensive and ongoing therapy, the psychological scars never go away”.
Miss A said she “feared” for her own daughter and “all little girls because of men like him” which convinced her “to come forward (to Gardaí) once and for all”.
“He needs to go to prison for justice to be served. Justice has been delayed but it should not be denied.”
Prosecuting counsel, John O’Sullivan BL, informed the court that while both victims stressed they wished to retain their anonymity, they supported legal restrictions being lifted in respect of the defendant, so that he could be identified
The man pleaded not guilty to a total of five counts of indecently assaulting the two girls, Miss A and Miss B, who the court heard were aged between three and eight when the sex attacks occurred in the 1980s.
However at the man’s trial at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court a jury found him guilty on four of the counts, and they could not agree on the fifth count. The man, who was supported in court by family members, was arrested and later charged after Ms A and Ms B made separate complaints to Gardaí in 2020.
When the defendant was arrested he denied all of the allegations. The two women said they made the complaints to try and “protect other little girls” from the defendant or any other “paedophile”.
In mitigation, the man’s barrister, senior defence counsel, Anthony Salmon, said the defendant had served an honourable career in the Defence Forces; that he had not had “penetrative” sex with the girls; that he is currently suffering with depression and back pain; and his ill wife depends on him for “basic household tasks”.
Mr Salmon said that, despite the defendant having pled not guilty to all of the offences, “he wishes to state he now accepts the validity of the jury’s determination in this case”.
Mr Salmon told judge Colin Daly that, the nature of the man’s offences against the two girls was “not at the higher end of offending, and I would ask you to sentence him accordingly”.
Mr Salmon asked the judge to take into account the defendant’s past “service to the State, and his previous good character until his convictions caught up with him”.
Judge Daly said he had “much to consider” and remanded the defendant on continuing bail for sentencing on April 28th. The judge said he would deal with the matter of anonymity in respect of the defendant at the sentencing hearing.
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