A MAN who sexually assaulted two of his nieces has been remanded in custody by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sentence on July 15th.
The 43 year old Co Laois man pleaded guilty to four charges of sexually assaulting one of the girls between 1991 and 1992 when she was aged under 10.
He also admitted sexually assaulting a second niece, a cousin of the first victim, on one occasion in 1993 when she was about seven. The defendant can not be named to protect the identity of the victims.
During the hearing, the victims' fathers described to the court the effects the abuse had had on the girls and their extended family.
Dr Eamon Hardiman, of the Eastern Health Board, said the defendant had no friends outside his family. He had never had a normal sexual experience and was both sexually immature and of borderline intelligence.
Judge Cyril Kelly received the statement of admission the defendant made to gardai, and the details of the sexual assaults were not read to the court.
The judge requested a transcript of the full hearing and adjourned the case to consider the matter further.
The father of the first victim said that, with counselling, his daughter seemed to be coping better than he and his wife were. But she found it hard to talk to boys her own age.
The second victim's father said the signs of improvement in his daughter's condition had come only three weeks ago. As a result of the sex assault she had suffered, she had become withdrawn and found it hard to make friends.