Dad jailed for child neglect, assault of five children (Ireland)

UNNAMED DAD has been given the "maximum prison sentence" (7 whole years!) for physically assaulting and neglecting his five children.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0727/court.html

Father jailed for child neglect & assault
Tuesday, 27 July 2010 16:53

A 42-year-old man convicted of physically assaulting and neglecting his five children has been given the maximum prison sentence for the offences.

The man, who is from the UK but moved to Ireland ten years ago, was jailed for seven years, with the final year suspended.

He was found guilty at the Central Criminal Court in April of this year on several counts of wilful neglect and wilful assault.

AdvertisementMs Justice Elizabeth Dunne said she had never come across a case where children were so damaged by physical abuse and failure to provide for their basic needs.

The man's three sons and two daughters, now aged between eight and 14, all are in care.

The court heard the children were shabbily dressed, filthy and starving when they were taken into care.

In a victim impact statement, the man's youngest son said he was hit both when he was 'bad' and 'good'.

His eldest son recalled being whipped and beaten for taking a block of cheese from the fridge.

Another son, who is 13 and receiving specialist care in the UK, told social workers he wished he could crawl into a black hole and die.

The court heard the man, who worked as a handyman, was rarely out of work, but Ms Justice Dunne said putting money on the table did not get rid of his obligation to look after his children.

She said he must take full share of his responsibility and not attempt to offload that on his wife.

The man was also charged with the rape and indecent assault of his oldest daughter and sexually assaulting one of his sons, however the jury failed to reach a verdict on those charges.