Man and three sons go on trial accused of sexual offences and assaults against relatives

A husband and wife and their three sons have gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of various sexual offences and assaults against four members of their extended family.

The first accused (66), the father of the three men and husband to the female accused, has pleaded not guilty to 25 charges including two of anally raping his granddaughter. He also has denied a total of 21 charges against his nephew including anal rape, oral rape and assault causing him harm.

The second accused (41), a son of the first accused, has pleaded not guilty to a total of 31 charges including charges of anal rape and rape against his niece. He has also denied four charges of sexually assaulting his sister, 21 charges of raping her and three charges of orally raping her.

The third accused (38), also a son of the first accused, pleaded not guilty to 36 charges, including two charges of anal rape in relation to his niece, two charges of anal rape of a second male complainant, his cousin. He has denied four charges of sexual assault, 22 charges of rape and six charges of oral rape of his sister.

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Concealing

The fourth accused (63), the mother of the three men and the wife of the first accused, has pleaded not guilty, while knowing or believing that her son, the second accused, was guilty of the offence of anal rape, to concealing the effects by giving the complainant, her granddaughter, an adult diaper and convincing her not to return to her parents.

She has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting her nephew, the first male complainant, causing him harm and assaulting her granddaughter causing her harm.

The fifth accused (40), also a son of the couple and a brother of the other two accused, has pleaded not guilty to 31 charges against his sister, including five charges of sexual assault, 23 charges of rape and three charges of oral rape.

The court heard that offences allegedly occurred between September 1999 and February 2004 against these four complainants. The two male complainants are brothers now aged 30 and 33, the first female complainant is now 30 and the second female complainant is now 36.

Shane Costelloe SC, prosecuting, told the jury in opening the trial that all of the complainants and all of the accused are inter-related and part of an extended Traveller family. He said each of the four complainants was abused in a sexual manner by some of the accused.

The trial, which is expected to last three weeks, continues before Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring.