A woman has claimed before the High Court that she was persistently sexually assaulted by the owner of a south Dublin dry cleaners throughout her employment there, which began when she was an "impressionable young girl" of limited education and life experience, and continued for 19 years.
Karen Murphy (40), who worked as a dry-cleaning operative at Craft Cleaners on Upper Baggot Street from 1980 to 1999, claimed that Danny Hoey, the owner/manager of the cleaners, frequently touched her on her arms, shoulders and buttocks and would also attempt to undo her jeans.
She alleges it was the practice at the cleaners to employ young girls and that other girls were subject to similar assaults. Mr Hoey, it was claimed, would frequently walk through the premises saying he was "feeling randy" and asking: "Who's next for a feel?" Such conduct, it was alleged, became a feature of employment with Craft Cleaners.
Ms Murphy left her job in 1999 on the advice of her GP, the court was told.
Her counsel, Frank Callanan SC, said that when Ms Murphy started working in the cleaners she was young, inexperienced and very vulnerable.
While Craft Cleaners was a private commercial business, the matter had the salient features of institutionalised sex abuse, Mr Callanan said. Ms Murphy had adopted a defence mechanism to get by and did not want to jeopardise her employment.
She had tried to discourage the actions of Mr Hoey but the assaults took place virtually anywhere on the premises - in the basement, in the back where the dry cleaning machine was and at the spotting board.
The proceedings by Ms Murphy, a mother of three who now lives in Wicklow, against Mr Hoey, of Ailesbury Road, Dublin, and Craft Cleaners of Upper Baggot Street, opened yesterday before Mr Justice Paul Gilligan and were adjourned to today.
Ms Murphy is claiming damages for personal injuries as a result of alleged sexual assault and assault and battery allegedly perpetrated by Mr Hoey. She is also seeking damages for alleged wrongful dismissal.
The defendants deny any assaults took place or that Ms Murphy was subjected to assault, battery, intimidation and abuse of a physical and sexual nature.
Ms Murphy claims that, from the outset of her employment in 1980 until she left her job in 1999, she was without her consent subjected to repeated assaults and battery, infliction of emotional suffering, intimidation and abuse of a verbal, physical and sexual nature by Mr Hoey as a manager of Craft Cleaners.
When Ms Murphy first went to work at the cleaners, she was a young impressionable 14-year-old with limited education and limited experience of the world, it is claimed.
From the outset, it is alleged, she was without her consent subjected to inappropriate personal contact at the hands of Mr Hoey.
It is alleged that a culture and climate was fostered in the premises whereby employees, including Ms Murphy, would always be in fear of the conduct.
What was frightening about the assaults was the frequency - about three times a day - while assaults from behind occurred about twice a week, Mr Callanan said.