Child sexually abused by father, mother and neighbour, court told

A Roscommon child was the victim of sexual abuse by her father, mother and neighbour from the age of five years old, a court has heard.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard the child was molested by her father between the ages of five and seven. He will be sentenced next Monday.

The girl’s mother is serving a 14-year sentence, with 4½ years suspended, for sexual assault, sexual exploitation and child cruelty. The neighbour received a 14-year sentence for a variety of sexual offences against the child including rape.

The court heard the mother was in a relationship with the neighbour and would make the child available to him for sexual abuse.

The child's father (59) has pleaded guilty to sexual assault of the girl at the family home in Roscommon between July 2004 and July 2006. Judge Martin Nolan remanded the man, who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, on continuing bail until Monday.

A local garda told prosecuting counsel Philipp Rahn that social workers were involved in the care of the family and there were concerns about the victim showing "oversexualised" behaviour.

The child was taken out of the family home and a “wide ranging investigation” took place. During interview by specialist Garda interviewers the girl said her father would sit her on his knee and kiss and molest her.

She said this happened two or three times when she was aged five or six.

During Garda interview the man denied molesting her and said he may have touched her genitals “by accident”.

In a victim impact report read to the court the girl said her father “has left permanent scars that will never go away”.

“He had no right to hurt me,” she wrote. “No one ever said I love you. Every child needs to be told they are loved and he never did.”

Defence counsel Paul Greene SC said his client had nothing to do with the more serious abuse orchestrated by the girl’s mother.

Counsel said his client was in fear of the mother and “was in a family environment that had become chaotic and dysfunctional”.

Mr Greene added that a medical report showed the man would find custody very difficult due to medical problems.