Munster child abuse case adjourned while new sound system installed

The child abuse trial of three men and three women has been adjourned while a new sound system is put in place in the temporary courtroom.

Addressing the jury of eight men and seven women on Monday, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said there were a number of sound issues that he was not happy about.

The trial adjourned early last Friday as many people in the court were having trouble hearing the proceedings.

The sound system is being put in place in the courtroom, with the trial taking place at Croke Park in Dublin to facilitate social distancing. Work started over the weekend and was expected to be finished later on Monday.

The judge said he did not believe the adjournment would affect the length of the trial. The jury asked for an updated time frame last week and were told the trial should finish up around the end of July. The trial will continue on Tuesday.

The six family members, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are accused of abusing three children between 2014 and 2016. The accused are the parents, aunts and uncles of the children. They range in age from 27 to 56 and live in various locations in Munster.

The parents are also accused of neglecting five of their children. All of the accused have denied the charges against them.

The charges against a seventh person – the children’s 57-year-old grandmother – were withdrawn last week by direction of the trial judge.