Man who raped sister is jailed for eight years

A Kildare man who raped his teenage sister has been jailed for eight years by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court.

The court heard the victim made several suicide attempts. The 25-year-old man, who pleaded guilty to anally raping her on a date unknown between August 24th, 2003, and August 24th, 2004, at their home, was also given a concurrent five-year sentence for assault with intent to rape his cousin in another town on September 22nd, 2006.

Garda Brian Kearney told prosecuting counsel, Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, that the second offence happened on the day the man's sister made a statement to gardaí.

She hadn't told her parents about her brother getting into her bed and anally raping her but confided later in a school friend and reported the offence to gardaí some three years after it happened.

Garda Kearney said the man knew his sister had lodged her complaint with gardaí and drove to his cousin's home in another town where after some conversation he assaulted her.

He admitted to gardaí when arrested that he had assaulted his sister.

Garda Kearney said the sister, in her victim impact statement, indicated she was severely affected by what happened and had considered several suicide attempts including cutting her wrists, hanging herself and taking tablets. She also spent some periods in residential psychiatric care.

Roger Sweetman SC, defending, said his client was disgusted with his actions and apologised to both women.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times