Trial opens for dad accused of sexually abusing, raping son for 3 years (Ireland)

UNNAMED DAD is now on trial for sexually abusing and raping his son for three years, between the ages of 12 and 15.

http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/ireland/trial-opens-of-man-accused-of-abusing-son-444723.html

Trial opens of man accused of abusing son
03/02/2010 - 18:00:39

The trial has opened at the Central Criminal Court of a man accused of the sexual abuse and ill treatment of his son

The 52-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded not (NOT) guilty to 11 charges of anal rape; 12 charges of oral rape; 24 charges of sexual assault and one charge of the wilful neglect or ill-treatment of the same boy on dates between April 11, 2001 and June 23, 2004.

The offences are alleged to have occurred while the child was aged between 12 and 15 years old.

The now 20-year-old complainant told Ms Aileen Donnelly SC, prosecuting, that he shared a bedroom at the time with two of his brothers. He said his parents went out most evenings to the pub and he babysat his younger siblings.

He told Ms Donnelly that during his last week in national school he hurt his hands in a fall. He said his hands were “awful sore” and he went home and told his parents.

He said his father grabbed his hands and squeezed them while asking him “is that sore.” He said he was thrown on the ground.

The man said they went to a local doctor and onto a hospital for x-rays and were then referred onto a larger hospital. He said during the drive to the hospital his father stopped at a pub and “had a few drinks.” He said he was in pain and was aged about 12.

He said that he got on well with his father sometimes, except when he was bring abused, but said he was scared of him and always had to be nice to him for fear of being hit.

The complainant told Ms Donnelly that his father came into his room for the first time when he was 12 or 13 years old. He said the man pulled down his clothes and abused him for a few minutes before leaving the room. He said he was told not to tell anyone.

He said he felt “bad” and did not really understand what was going on.

He said this abuse continued happening “a couple of times a week.”

The man said his father would also come into his room and ask him to perform oral sex, or perform oral sex on him. He said his father either woke him up or he would be already awake because he was afraid.

He said he sometimes said no but his father would hit him on these occasions and he would have to do it anyway.

He said he did not want these things to happen and said his father should not have done it.

He told Ms Donnelley: “It was wrong, he was my father like” when she asked him what his attitude to the abuse was. He said he was told not to say anything to anyone.

He said that sometimes his father would perform one type of sexual abuse on each separate occasion but sometimes performed more then one type of act. He said he would be abused three or four times a week.

He said he often told his father to stop but he would hit him.

He said he left home in 2004 but the following year asked his father to meet up with him. He told Ms Donnelly “it was not all bad” and said “I was hoping he would apologise, I was hoping he was sorry.”

He said they spoke about their home place and the family. He said he told his father he was going to retract his statement, even though he had no intention of doing so, so that his father would be nice to him.

He said: “Even though he did all those things he was still my father.”

Earlier Ms Donnelly told the jury, in opening the case, that they may find some of the evidence distressing or may feel sympathy for a man accused of such offences but asked them to approach the case clinically.

She said they can not nor should they act out of sympathy or ill will for any party in the case.

The trial continues before Mr Justice Barry White and a jury of seven men and five women.