A SCHOOLGIRL who alleges she was sexually abused by her father agreed in the Central Criminal Court yesterday that she was blamed when her cousin developed a mental illness.
She denied making up the allegations against her father or having plotted to get out of the family home.
The 18-year-old Leaving Certificate student from Co Offaly said she had lived in an aunt's house for some time after making the sexual allegations. But she was asked to leave when her female cousin became mentally ill, suffering from panic attacks.
"I was blamed for it", the girl told Mr Seamus Sorahan SC (with Ms Jeri Ward), defending.
Re-examined by Mr Joseph Matthews SC (with Mr Pat O'Connell), prosecuting, she said her own grandmother had told her she had to leave the house. She said she fell her cousin had been spoilt but was not getting enough attention after she moved in.
Earlier, the alleged victim told the jury that she was now living with relatives in another town. She denied a suggestion by Mr Sorahan that she was not "pulling her weight" in regard to housework in her new home. She also denied making up the allegations against her father or having plotted from 1991 to get out of the family home.
In further reply to Mr Sorahan, she agreed she had once lied and told a friend she had leukaemia. She did not know why she said this. She denied telling the same girl on another occasion that she was pregnant.
The girl was giving evidence on the second day of her father's trial. The 41-year-old widower and father of five has pleaded not guilty to charges of rape, having unlawful carnal knowledge and sexual assault of his daughter in or about March 1991 and again in July 1993. He has also denied sexually assaulting her on a date between April 1991 and May 1993.
The trial before a jury of seven men and five women continues.