A Wexford man has been jailed for five years by the Central Criminal Court for raping his niece while she was sleeping a few feet from her father, the man's brother. Derek Corrigan (34), of Castlellis, the Ballagh, Enniscorthy, pleaded guilty to raping his niece on January 3rd and 4th, 1999.
The woman, now aged 24, said her being in court was not a reflection of "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". Her aim was to give disclosure to the issue of violation of women to which society had become so sanitised because it had become so common.
A former student of astronomy and astrophysics in England, she told the court she had become a completely different person because of the rape. "I was carefree, trusting, an optimist. I relished my freedom - it was the most important thing in my life." Her loss of trust in men was deep, especially as it was her uncle who committed the crime.
She said she could no longer trust her father or her brothers, and proximity with a man, even one passing on the street, made her hysterical with fear. She often took baths and scrubbed her skin until it was close to bleeding because of the shame and humiliation she felt. The past four years of her life had been a hell filled with self-loathing and revulsion.
The defence told the court that Corrigan was deeply apologetic for what he had done. His own life had been turned upside down by the incident and he had taken to drinking heavily.
Sgt Brendan Moore said the girl had been on a university gap year when the incident occurred. She was visiting her grandparents in Wexford with her father.
Mr Justice Carney said it was a particularly aggravating factor that Corrigan had raped his niece knowing that she would be unable to scream when her father was lying just a few feet away.
He sentenced Corrigan to five year and ordered he be put on the sexual offenders' register.
He also ordered that Corrigan remain under the supervision of the probation and welfare services for a further five years following his release.