An inquest jury has unanimously found that an infant discovered murdered in a laneway in south Dublin 34 years ago was the child of Cynthia Owen, who claims the baby was conceived as a result of sexual abuse in the family home. Ali Brackenreports.
The jury also found that the infant died at the family home in White's Villas in Dalkey and that the cause of death was haemorrhage due to stab wounds.
It returned an open verdict on the infant's death. Coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty advised the jury that it could not return a verdict of unlawful killing as it would "implicate people" in criminal activity which is outside the remit of an inquest.
Ms Owen broke down when the jury foreman told the court the jury had found she was the mother of the murdered infant. Helped by her husband Simon Owen and a friend, Ms Owen took the stand to confirm the name of her child as Noleen, so a death certificate can now be issued.
"I intend to find that the unidentified infant found at Lee's Lane on Wednesday, 4th April, 1973 was Noleen Murphy and that she died on the 4th April, 1973 at 4 White's Villas. The cause of death was haemorrhage due to stab wounds and the verdict is open. I hope now that the baby will rest in peace," Dr Geraghty told the court.
Dr Geraghty then thanked the jury for its "conscientiousness" over the four-day inquest as he discharged them.
Ms Owen gave evidence over the course of the inquest that she was raped repeatedly from the age of seven or eight into her teenage years by four different people.
One of those people was identified as her brother Peter Murphy jnr as he waived his right to anonymity at the inquest. The inquest heard that five out of six female relatives who were brought up together have alleged sexual abuse in the family home in Dalkey.
Ms Owen's sister, Catherine Stevenson, told the inquest yesterday that she was sexually abused in the family home by a man and that her mother was aware that one of her other sisters was being abused by her brother Peter but failed to act.
Ms Stevenson told the inquest that on one occasion at the family home a man referred to as D attempted to rape her. "When I was very young, D tried to have sex with me . . . I said ok, if he kissed me like they do on TV. He wasn't able to have sex with me because he was hurting me," she said.
Ms Stevenson continued that her late mother, Josephine Murphy, was aware her brother Peter was raping her sister Frances but did not intervene. She told the court that her mother called her into a room to examine the colour of Frances's urine in a potty as it was "dark" and looked like it contained "pieces of flesh".
Her mother then voiced concerns that her brother had been "interfering" with her and Ms Stevenson said she "shouted that she should throw him out". She said her mother replied that she would not as he had nowhere to go.
"My mother told me Peter, I mean C, was going to prison and when he came out she would separate the boys from the girls. I thought that she was doing the right thing."
Mr Murphy told the inquest on Thursday that allegations he raped Frances were "totally incorrect".
Ms Stevenson said she had "no recollection" of Ms Owen being abused in the family home or of her being pregnant and giving birth.