A man who raped and sexually abused his foster-daughter in west Dublin hasbeen jailed for 12 years by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central CriminalCourt.
Garda Susan O'Brien told prosecuting counsel, Ms Roisin Lacey BL, the manand his wife had fostered 15 other children but no complaints in relation tothese were before the courts. No children had been fostered since thevictim in this case made her complaint.
Gda O'Brien said the victim claimed she "still loved her father but knew hehad done wrong". .
Mr Justice Carney said this case involved a serious breach of trust andnoted that while the abuse had started with sexual assault, it escalatedover a period of years to rape violence.
He adjourned the final three years of this sentence, taking into account thedefendant's guilty plea which he said allowed the trial of another violentperson to go ahead.
The 52-year-old defendant pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexuallyassaulting and seven of raping the girl in their West Dublin home on datesbetween 1995 and 2001.
Gda O'Brien told Ms Lacey the girl was fostered by the defendant and hiswife when she was six. She was happy there in the beginning until the abusestarted when she was eight.
It began when her foster-father called her into his room while his wife wassleeping. He began touching her genital area inside her pyjama bottoms andtold her not to tell anyone. The girl was afraid she would be hurt if shedid tell anyone so the abuse continued on a regular basis.
She said he would also come into her bedroom while she was changing andtouch her genital area. When she was 10 the level of abuse changed as hewould call her into his room and take off her clothes, make her lie on thebed and rape her.
Gda O'Brien said this would occur every weekend and on weekdays and itdidn't matter if there was anyone else in the house or not.
He would also ask her to perform oral sex on him but she refused despite himtrying to force her by pushing her head towards his genital area.
Gda O'Brien said the sexual intercourse became more rough when she was 12and she would often sustain bruising, cuts or bleeding and would havedifficulty walking or going to the toilet.
A pillow was put over her face to muffle her cries and on one occasion heurinated inside her.The girl made a complaint to her foster-mother in March 2002 and while therewas some disbelief at first, when his wife asked him he admitted itimmediately. The Social Welfare officers were contacted and the defendantleft the family home.
Gda O'Brien said while the defendant admitted everything to the gardai hesaid he did not penetrate the girl with his penis as he was unable to do so.
He said he had no reasons for doing what he had done but was extremelyremorseful for taking the girl's innocence away.