A man charged with at least 32 counts of sexually abusing and assaulting his daughter was given a highly conditional bail in the District Court this week (July 9 ).
Detective Garda John Quinn gave evidence of arresting the man at an address in Athlone, and taking him to the Garda station, where he charged him with the offences that morning.
He told the court that in the daughter’s statement she alleges she was beaten and sexually abused at her father’s apartment between June 2012 and May 2013.
No details as to the degree of abuse, or level of assault, were revealed to open court.
After issuing a ban on reporting any details that might identify either party, Judge Seamus Hughes asked “Where’s the mother in this?”
“She died, judge, around Christmas 2012, but had not been in the child’s life,” said Detective Garda Quinn.
He explained that the father and daughter had lived at a number of addresses in Dublin prior to this, but it had always been in a houseshare, and that when they came to Athlone in 2012, it was the first time they ever resided alone.
The daughter has been in foster care since making her statement, and there has been “no access for some number of months”.
Inspector Aidan Minnock indicated that the book of evidence might take another two months to complete, so the judge remanded the man on a highly conditional bail until September 24.
His conditions for release include: surrendering his passport; residing at the given address, and not to change it without approval of a Garda superintendent; sign on at the Garda station three times a week; and not to have any contact, direct or indirect, with the complainant.
“Indirect means no Facebook, texting, or anything else,” warned the judge.
