A man who raped his young niece and molested her sister has been jailed for 10 years.
Francis Rafferty (68) admitted the sexual assault of his nieces but said he believed his behaviour was harmless.
Rafferty, of Botanic Avenue, Drumcondra, Dublin pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting one girl when she was aged between nine and 12 years old between 2005 and 2008.
After a trial at the Central Criminal Court a jury convicted him of two counts of raping this victim and of sexually assaulting her older sister. He was acquitted of two other counts of raping the younger girl. He had denied these charges.
The victims, now adults, gave permission for their uncle’s name to be published. One victim told the court that she went from “playing with dolls to planning her death” after the abuse began.
Ms Justice Margaret Heneghan noted a report from the Probation Service which stated that Rafferty has no understanding of the hurt, trauma or long term effect of his actions on his victims.