AN ELDERLY Dublin man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court charged with the repeated rape and sexual abuse of three teenagers, two females and one male, over 40 years ago.
The 75-year-old has pleaded not guilty to 12 charges of rape and one of indecent assault in relation to the first female complainant and 14 charges in relation to both rape and indecent assault of the second female complainant on dates between January 1st, 1970, and August 31st, 1973.
The girls were aged between 13 and 16 years at the time.
The man has also pleaded not guilty to 19 charges of indecent assault of a male on dates between January 1st, 1969, and June 30th, 1973, when he was aged between 13 and 17.
The jury heard that the second complainant alleges that the man fathered her first child which she then gave up for adoption.
Patrick McGrath SC, prosecuting, told the jury in his opening address that the accused met the three teenagers through his involvement with a local choir, while the male complainant also worked in the accused’s family business.
He said the male complainant would testify that he had “effectively been taken under the accused’s wing” as a young teenager, given a job in the man’s family business and brought to football matches in England with him.
Mr McGrath said the complainant would tell the jury that the accused first introduced him to alcohol when he was 13 years old and shortly after started to abuse him. He said it was the State’s case that the man showed the young boy pornography before forcing him to perform oral sex on him.
Mr McGrath said the complainant alleges that the abuse continued in that manner at least once a week until the teenager met his future wife when he was 17 years old. He said the abuse occurred mainly in the office where the accused worked but also in his mother’s home.
Mr McGrath said the two female complainants were cousins and good friends. They met the accused through his involvement with the church choir.
He said that both women would allege that the man would often drive them home from Mass, but then make some excuse to go to his office where he would rape them.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of seven women and five men.