A judge has praised a survivor of sexual abuse for speaking out and leading the way for others to come forward.
The victim was sexually abused as a small child by an older teenager.
A now 37-year-old Tipperary man, who was 13 when he began sexually abusing the then four-year-old victim, was jailed for five years for the offences on Friday.
The accused man, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of the injured party, pleaded guilty to oral rape and sexual assault of the young man by inserting his fingers into his anus at the victim’s home on dates between 1999 and 2002. He has no relevant previous convictions.
The boy was between four and eight when he was abused by the accused in the bathroom of the young boy’s family home. The accused was aged between 13 and 17 during his offending.
In his victim impact statement, the now 28-year-old man told the court that the accused had taken his childhood and groomed him for his own sexual gratification. He outlined the adverse effects the abuse has had and continues to have on his personal life, education, and relationships.
He told the court of how he had suffered depression, stress, anxiety, sadness, fear, nightmares, and paranoid thoughts towards other people.
He added he had “agonised” over disclosing what had happened to him and was afraid about how he would protect any future children.
Leading the way
Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring noted during sentencing that the injured party had carried the burden of deciding whether to disclose what had happened to him.
“No person – a child, adolescent or adult – should ever have that burden,” she said, “what was done was not only wrong, it was criminal.”
She added that in reporting his abuse, the man was leading the way for others to take the same step and break the silence. “There should be no shame,” she said.
The judge noted the accused had pleaded guilty, but noted it came at a late stage. She said the injured party had understood for a period of two years, until late 2022, that he would be required to give evidence causing stress and anxiety she could not overlook.
Ms Justice Ring said the court must give regard to the fact that the accused man was himself a child when the offending occurred. She added that the court had no understanding or explanation of how he came to carry out such abuse.
The judge said that whatever the lack of maturity of a 13 year old, he knew he was abusing a very young child, and that realisation had to grow as he matured.
She noted the accused had not engaged with the probation service in relation to a court-ordered report, and there was consequently no risk assessment or recommendations to assist in sentencing.
She said he had abused the trust of the injured party and the child’s family but noted the lack of any similar offending in the intervening years. She noted that he had worked to provide for his family.
Ms Justice Ring imposed concurrent sentencing totalling five years and ordered 18 months of post-release supervision to assist in his rehabilitation.
She wished the injured party and his family well and hoped he and his family could move on.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help.
By Fiona Ferguson
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