AN 83-YEAR-OLD church pastor who sexually abused a child in his congregation over a number of years has been jailed for 12 and a half years.
The man, who can’t be named to protect the anonymity of the victim, was found guilty by a jury of one count of attempted rape, one count of oral rape and three counts of sexual abuse of his victim at a church within the State on dates between December 2013 and April 2018.
He had denied the allegations and stood trial in the Central Criminal Court earlier this year. He has no previous convictions.
A local detective garda told Timothy O’Leary SC, prosecuting, that the man was a pastor in the church and the complainant was a member of his congregation, having attended the church with her family from a young age.
The court was told that, notwithstanding the dates on the indictment, it was agreed the girl was between eight and 11 years old during the abuse, while the man was aged in his 70s.
The man targeted the victim when she was using the toilet in the church and touched her inappropriately regularly, with the abuse escalating to attempted rape. The little girl was anxious and distressed and tried not to eat or drink before going to church, so she would not have to use the bathroom, the court heard.
In her victim impact statement, which was read out on her behalf by a family member, the now 20-year-old woman said that as the leader of her church, the man “should have represented safety, care and integrity”.
She said to this day she is hypervigilant, startles easily, has nightmares and night terrors and periods where she loses time and finds herself somewhere with no memory of getting there.
“What was done to me as a vulnerable child has affected me so deeply that long periods of my life have passed in a blur,” she said.
As a child, she said she appeared shy and made herself “quiet and small so unbearable memories would not spill out” and in fact, she was struggling to survive. “Church, a place of refuge, became a place of fear.”
She said going through the trial process affected her emotionally and physically, left her drained for weeks and set back her recovery. “I’m determined to take back my life and not be afraid to live,” she said. “As a 20-year-old, I’m speaking for the little girl who could not speak.”
Dominic McGinn SC, defending, said it had been agreed that the offending effectively took place over a two-to-three year period. He asked the court to put this in the context of the man’s life, given he is now aged 83.
The man has been in custody since his conviction and defence counsel said this is a new experience for him and a difficult one. He has a number of health issues.
He asked the court to take into account the man’s lengthy work history and his religious work, albeit the fact the offending “was committed in this sphere”.
Sentencing him today, Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo said he had considered the victim impact statement, and it was clear that the offending had caused “immediate and long and abiding harm” to the woman which made it difficult for her to lead a happy life.
He said a headline sentence of 14 years was warranted given the ongoing nature of the abuse, the length of time over which it occurred, the disparity in age between the child and the man, and the significant breach of trust involved.
Mr Justice Naidoo said the man could not avail of the most important mitigating feature – a plea of guilty – but acknowledged that he had a consistent work history.
He said the man had “abused his position in the church to commit the offence” and, on that basis, he could not accept that his participation in the church was to his credit.
Mr Justice Naidoo accepted that a testimonial from a long term friend said the man had supported her through difficult times in her life. He also accepted that he has ongoing medical issues for which he requires a number of medications.
Mr Justice Naidoo suspended the final 18 months of the 14-year term on strict conditions including that he engage with the Probation Service for two years upon his release from prison.