Woman claims she became pregnant after rapes

A WOMAN who claims to have first been raped as a girl while her parents were at Knock Shrine for the Papal visit in 1979 told a jury at the Central Criminal Court today (Wednesday) she subsequently gave birth to a baby which was stillborn.

The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told Judge Tony Hunt and a jury sitting at the Central Criminal Court in Castlebar she was 15 at the time of the birth, which occurred in the toilet of a public house.

She explained to Judge Hunt and the jury that she 'picked the baby out of the toilet bowl and looked at it'. She stated: “I was glad it was dead.”

For some time beforehand, the woman said in response to questions from State prosecutor Tara Burns, she suspected she might be pregnant. She had taken tablets and castor oil and bought knitting needles, which she did not use, in an effort to get rid of the baby.

Making it clear that nobody else except the accused could have made her pregnant, she stated: “I did not have sex with anybody else up to that point.”

The clearly distressed alleged victim, who broke down while giving evidence, said that from the age of 10 onwards she was raped four times by the accused and indecently assaulted on numerous occasions.

She had told nobody what was happening as she felt 'dirty' and 'afraid'.

In cross-examination, Michael Bowman, senior counsel (defending), put it to the alleged victim that she was mistaken, that the accused was actually in Knock for the visit of the Pope.

The first complaints of rape and assault against the accused, who is pleading not guilty to all charges, were made to gardaí in 2011.

The accused is denying all charges.

The trial is continuing.