A MAYO father whose rape and sexual abuse of his daughter "devastated" their family has been sentenced to 10 years jail by the Central Criminal Court.
Mr Justice Shanley said the evidence and reports before him revealed the family had partly blamed the victim, who is now 18 years old.
Even after her father's guilty pleas she had suffered most unfairly.
The young woman had missed out on her schooling shortly before she was due to sit the Leaving Certificates She had also lost the company of her family and was living in a flat on her own, said Mr Just ice Shanley.
Listing the case for review on October 4th, 1999, he said that if by then the victim had been reintegrated into her family and was not suffering the current trauma, he would suspend the balance of the sentence.
A detective told the court the defendant said he was relieved after making a confession. He also expressed his regret and shame at the serious effect his offending had had on his family.
At the start of the hearing Mr Barry White SC, defending, said his client was "in a certain distressed state" but he was willing to proceed. During the hearing the defendant continually sobbed into a handkerchief.
In September the 46 year old father of nine pleaded guilty to five representative charges of rape and two of indecent assault out of a total of 44 charges on the indictment. The incidents took place in various parts of the country on dates from November 1989 to April 1995.
In evidence, the victim said the only way anything would help was if she got counselling and her family supported her for what she had done in revealing the abuse.
She told Mr Peter Charleton SC, prosecuting, that her family did not now blame her and understood why she had done what she did.
She said she still loved her father but that it might take a long time to forgive him. He had been a good father to her except for what he had done, and he had done good for the rest of the family.
Det Sgt John McCormack said the defendant kept horses as a hobby and the offences occurred when he brought his daughter to horse show events.
A social worker contacted gardai on May 3rd, 1995, after she complained. Seven days later her father was arrested and admitted the crimes.
He claimed the incidents started in an innocent way as an extension of his love for her, but developed from touching to rape. He accepted his conduct had been utterly improper.
The family had been "devastated" and there was tension after the revelations, but that might be changing, Det Sgt McCormack said.