Man who abused seven brothers and sisters jailed for 20 years

A farm labourer who raped six children and molested a seventh from the same family has been jailed for 20 years and described as a “master manipulator” by one of his victims.

Michael McCarville (49) began abusing the first child in 1982, shortly after taking up work on the family’s farm, when the victim was 10 and he was 15.

The assaults on the five brothers and two sisters were spread over some 18 years and took place in sheds, outhouses and fields.

McCarville, with an address in Longfield, Lisboduff, Cootehill, Co Cavan, was charged with 187 counts of indecent assault and sexual assault of the seven children between 1982 and 1999. He pleaded guilty to 52 sample charges including oral and anal rape.

The victims agreed to McCarville being named in the media but did not waive their right to anonymity.

The court heard McCarville’s first victim was sexually assaulted up to three times a week at various locations. In 1983, he also began orally raping a female member of the in the family who was aged seven. He continued to rape her for five years. At the same time McCarville was anally raping another brother, who was aged between 10 and 12.

Sustained assaults

Six of the victims were subjected to sustained and regular assaults including rapes and the seventh sibling was sexually assaulted twice.

In his victim impact statement, the eldest sibling (now 45) said McCarville was "a master manipulator" who split the children apart in other to control them and get what he wanted. He described his horror at learning over the last two years that his four brothers and two sisters had also been abused.

“I was overpowered by an evil and disgusting man who spent his life manipulating me,” he said, adding that he believed “it’s a miracle that we have all survived”.

Some of the victims described struggling with alcohol abuse in their adult life and many said they still suffered from flashbacks, depression and anxiety.

Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said he struggled with whether McCarville should be handed down a life sentence as the offences were of the utmost seriousness, but he added that he should be given credit for his guilty plea.

He sentenced him to 20 years in prison and ordered five years post-release supervision.

Mr Justice McCarthy said McCarville became the employee of the victims’ parents from a young age and a year later, he moved into the family home.

“He must have been treated as a family member, at least in terms of day to day matters,” the judge said, adding this made the crimes more obnoxious. He described them as being “a serious breach of trust”.

Remy Farrell SC, for McCarville, said his client had instructed him to offer an apology to the victims.

He said that since this offending ended the man has not committed any other offences and assists with his local church and GAA club. McCarville is married and has three children over whom no concerns have been raised, counsel said.