A woman was sexually assaulted as a child by her uncle when he took her up to his attic and told her to lie down on the carpet while he put his hands down the front of her pants, she told a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. On several occasions he would remove his dressing gown, get into bed beside her and rub his penis against her when she stayed at his house on weekends and school holidays, the court heard.
The married man, from Co Louth and in his 40s, has pleaded not guilty to four separate charges of sexually assaulting his niece, now aged 21, on dates unknown between 1987 and 1997. He has one child.
The woman told Mr Roderick O'Hanlon, prosecuting, that she was aged 12 to 13 when the abuse started while she stayed at her uncle's house with her family. She said that during Hallowe'en and Christmas she would stay with her family at her uncle's new address, where he was carrying out building work.
On one occasion, she said, her uncle asked her if she would like to see the attic at the new address. She was excited and interested to see it.
She said he made her lie down on a piece of carpet in the attic among piled clothes and hangers, and insisted she lift up her dress while he put his hand down the front of her pants. In tears, she alleged he would then lie down beside her as the abuse continued for 10 minutes.
Asked by Mr Barry White SC, defending, whether she was good at recalling specific dates, she replied: "No, I can recall it happening to me but not what year." Mr White told her that in a statement to gardai she had said her uncle had in fact called her up to the attic. She said she did not remember.
She also agreed she could not recall telling gardai about a clothes rack in the attic or a pile of clothes placed in the corner, but she knew there was a pile to the left of the attic.
She said her uncle took her up to the attic two or three times.
Mr White suggested that in a report from her social worker she had in fact stated it was more than 20 times. She replied that she was very upset at the time.
Mr White continued that she had also stated the accused put his penis inside her on one occasion, though a physical examination established she was a virgin. He suggested that all her allegations about her uncle were false.
She replied: "No."
The trial continues tomorrow before Judge Michael White and a jury of eight men and four women.