Cork man who sexually assaulted his step-sister while ‘wrestling’ given a suspended sentence

A man who sexually assaulted his step-sister while ‘wrestling’ has been handed a fully suspended sentence.

The 57-year-old Cork man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, appeared before Mr Justice Paul Burns in the Central Criminal Court on Monday after pleading guilty to indecently and sexually assaulting his step-sister over the course of three months in 1991.

It was outlined to the court that the man fondled her breasts and vagina while ‘wrestling’ and that on one occasion, he digitally penetrated her vagina.

He was 14 at the time and she was 12. There was no blood relation between the two of them.

He made full admissions when interviewed by gardai and pleaded guilty at an early stage.

The court heard the woman felt “repulse and disgust” as well as “low self-esteem” stemming from the assaults. She said she was “burdened with the secret knowledge of what had been done” and that the offending had a “terrible impact on her.”

She said she could “forgive the accused” but “cannot forgive his actions.” The court acknowledged her bravery in coming forward.

The man has no previous convictions.

In sentencing, Mr Justice Burns said: “To some extent, the man who appears before the court is a different man to the boy who committed the offences.”

He says the man has “effectively rehabilitated” and that the court must consider his age at the time of offending.

The man was sentenced to four months’ imprisonment on one charge of indecent assault and 16 months on each of the four counts of sexual assault. These sentences are to run concurrently with each other.

The sentence was suspended for a period of two years on strict conditions.

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