Teen caught sexually assaulting disabled cousin (12), court told

A then 16-year-old boy, who was caught sexually assaulting his disabled cousin just over eight years ago, has been remanded on bail pending sentence.

The abuse came to light after their grandmother walked in and found the boy in the girl’s bedroom.

The now 24-year-old man appeared at the Dublin Children's Court on Tuesday after delaying his case by almost seven years which Judge Brendan Toale said could have a "re-traumatising effect" on his victim.

Sentencing was adjourned for a probation report on the accused to be prepared and to see if the complainant wished to give a victim impact statement.

He had pleaded guilty seven years ago to the sexual assault which occurred in 2010 at the girl’s home in south Co Dublin. However, in 2012 he skipped court when he was due to be sentenced and he was then homeless for a number of years.

Gardaí located him last month after he secured accommodation.

Judge Toale asked for the facts of the case to be reheard.

Garda Sergeant Eimear Monaghan told the court the grandmother had walked into the girl's bedroom and found the teen there.

He had his trousers and pants around his ankles and was sitting beside his cousin on her bed.

Specialist interview

The girl has a serious disability, as well as speech difficulties and her mental age was below her actual age, the sergeant said. A specialist interview of the girl was held.

Garda Sergeant Monaghan said the child stated the accused, “put the thing that helps you go to the toilet in her bum and touched her bum with his hands and put his hand in her vagina”.

When arrested a couple of weeks later, the youth, then aged 16, made admissions and detailed how he touched the child around her breast and vagina, inside and outside her clothes.

He admitted, “he inserted two fingers in her vagina and touched her vagina with his penis and attempted to put it inside but changed his mind”. He also went into some detail about the girl’s speech problems and medical difficulties, the court heard.

The court heard the accused and another sibling had been taken into care at a young age.

Garda Sergeant Monaghan agreed with defence solicitor Paddy McGarry that there was an allegation the accused had been the victim of abuse when he was in foster care.

His father had died when he was young and his mother had drug and health problems, the court was told.

Sentencing was adjourned until April. The accused was remanded on continuing bail.