A former nun and a male co-accused have been found guilty by a jury of raping a then 10-year-old girl at St Michael's Child Care Centre in Cappoquin, Co Waterford. Nora Wall (51), formerly Sister Dominic, with an address at Clonliffe Avenue, Drumcondra, and Paul "Pablo" McCabe (50), of Rock Road, Booterstown, were convicted of committing the offence on a date unknown in 19871988. Mr Justice Carney at the Central Criminal Court remanded them on continuing bail for sentence on July 23rd next. Wall, from Co Waterford, who was a Sisters of Mercy nun, was also found guilty by the jury of indecently assaulting the girl at the home.
The jury reached its guilty verdicts by a 10-two majority after almost five hours of deliberations. Both were acquitted on a second charge of raping the girl on a date in January 1990.
The defendants denied the charges.
During the seven-day trial, the court heard evidence from the now 21-year-old woman who described how she was twice raped in her bed in the home by McCabe while Wall held down her legs and ankles. She said she was nine years of age when first raped and that it happened again at the time of her 12th birthday. She also claimed the nun indecently assaulted her.
A now 26-year-old woman, who was also a resident at the home, claimed she saw the rapes take place.
This witness told the jury the rapes happened within months of each other around the time the alleged victim was nine or 10 years of age. Wall said in evidence she never had any sexual contact with any of the children in the home.
She added that the alleged victim was known for making up stories and had previously alleged she was sexually assaulted by her own father. McCabe said he had made up admissions to gardai that the alleged victim had consented to sex on her 12th birthday. He said he hadn't been given adequate treatment for his schizophrenia during questioning and had not taken his medication for a number of weeks previously. He signed the statement because he was under pressure from gardai and believed the truth would come out regardless of what he said to gardai.