Sir, – Gordon Deegan reports (July 26th) that Judge Gerald Keys imposed a two-year suspended sentence on a 77-year-old man at Ennis Circuit Court after he was convicted of sexually abusing two of his nieces.
Judge Keys cited the accused’s guilty plea, his age, health and remorse as mitigating factors. Yet the judge was quoted as saying “you suggested that both your nieces led you on and that they were promiscuous”. Since some of these offences took place when one of the victims was aged six or seven and other assaults when the victim was aged 14 to 15 years, these comments by the perpetrator may well have further traumatised the victims in this case. Age should also not be a mitigating circumstance in such cases because of the secrecy, deviousness and difficulties in getting such cases into court.
This arguably unduly lenient sentence should be appealed.
– Yours, etc,
EDWARD HORGAN
Castletroy,
Limerick.