Man found guilty of raping niece

A Belfast man was convicted yesterday of raping his eight-year-old niece in his Dublin flat three years ago

A Belfast man was convicted yesterday of raping his eight-year-old niece in his Dublin flat three years ago. The jury found the 30-year-old man guilty of raping and sexually assaulting the girl on unknown dates from June 17th to August 8th, 1995. The man had denied the offences in evidence.

Mr Justice Smith directed the preparation of a victim impact report and a probation report on the defendant. He remanded him in custody for sentence in the Central Criminal Court on October 20th.

Giving evidence by videolink, the girl said her uncle had persuaded her mother to let him bring her to Dublin for a holiday. He said he was going to bring her to Butlins with his then girlfriend and other children.