A garda has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a then-10-year-old female relative when she was in a bedroom in his home following a family event in November of 2016.
The garda, who can’t be named to protect the anonymity of the injured party, will be sentenced on May 8th following the preparation of a victim impact report in relation to the young girl whom he sexually assaulted.
He briefly lowered his head and put his face in his hands when the 11-1 majority verdict was delivered.
The judge in the case at the circuit criminal court remanded the man on continuing bail after hearing there was no objection to bail from the State.
“That is not to be taken in any way as an indication that a lenient sentence will be passed in this matter. I regard it as a serious case,” the judge said.
“I want to say,” the judge added, “I am very impressed with the evidence given by [the injured party] and with her bravery. To go through a process like this is far from easy, even for an adult.”
Confrontation
During the trial, the court heard that the injured party travelled with her mother and her grandparents to the home of the accused and the accused’s wife, who is the injured party’s mother’s sister, on Saturday, November 26th, 2016.
The adults went to a function that night while the injured party stayed in the accused’s house with the accused’s own young son and a babysitter. The garda left the family gathering early to go home. The court heard that he went into the bedroom where the injured party was staying and sexually assaulted her.
A doctor who examined the injured party in a hospital sexual assault unit said the girl’s mother told him that the girl said her uncle had come into the bedroom where she was sleeping and rubbed her back “for a period of time” and then “her bottom was rubbed” and then “fingers were inserted into her front bum”. He understood that to mean her vaginal area.
The accused denied the charge. The defence did not go into evidence.
The father of the injured party told the court that his wife rang him on the Sunday morning to tell him what their daughter said about the assault, and he travelled to the garda’s home and confronted him.
When confronted outside his front door, the defendant said “oh God no, no” when it was put to him that he touched the 10-year-old girl inappropriately.
The accused also told GSOC investigators that the allegations against him were “all lies” and told a garda superintendent that the injured party was “a good kid but a compulsive liar”.