Victim of child defilement tells judge she's being intimidated
A schoolgirl told a sitting of the Circuit Criminal Court that a youth – who pleaded guilty last year to an act of child defilement on her when she was 14 years old – is subjecting her and her family to ongoing intimidation and stress.
In a victim impact statement read to the court on her behalf by Mr. Patrick Reynolds, counsel for the State, the girl said that in the past two years her family had to make compaints on more than ten occasions to the guards.
The victim said the ordeal (defilement) of what happened to her a week after her 14th birthday and the stress of the subsequent trial will haunt her for the rest of her life.
She outlined that she cannot sleep properly, can't go out on her own and only feels safe when she has four or five of her friends with her.
The victim said she had to be collected inside the school gates every day and is “terrified of what might happen” as the defendant is always hanging around after school.
“They (defendant's family) have made my life unbearable for the past two years,' the statement continued.
The defendant, who will be 18 later this year, appeared before Judge Rory MacCabe for sentencing in Castlebar yesterday having pleaded guilty at an earlier court to a single act of child defilement.
Judge MacCabe said it was very disturbing that in her victim impact statement the victim had made repeated references to allegations of intimidation or threats by or on behalf of the accused not only to the victim but to members of her family.
The judge said it was in everyone's interest that the case was concluded for once and for all but because of recommendations in the defendant's probation report and the concerns about threats and intimidation he was putting sentencing back to October.
“If the threats or intimidation continues I will invite the gardai to take what steps they think are appropriate,” the judge added.