A 41-year-old woman who was sexually assaulted and raped by her father over a 12-year period has waived her anonymity to encourage others to report abuse.
Lorraine Mulvey was sexually abused by her father Ray Mulvey, a former army sergeant who was today jailed for six years for the abuse.
66-year-old Mulvey of Ferney Grove, Mahon, in Cork, pleaded guilty to seven charges of sexual assault and one count of raping his daughter on various dates from 1975 to 1988.
At the Central Criminal Court today, Mulvey received a 12-year sentence for the rape charge, four six-year sentences and three two-year sentences for the assault charges.
Mr Justice Paul Carney ordered that all sentences would run concurrently and he suspended the final six years on various conditions.
Mulvey began sexually abusing his daughter in 1975 when she was just five years of age and they were living in an army house at the Curragh.
The family later moved to Cork and Mulvey raped his daughter for the first time when she was 15.
The abuse continued until Lorraine left the family home aged 17.
The victim told her mother about the abuse in 1997 and when she confronted Mulvey, he admitted the abuse.
She reported it to gardaí three years later.
Mulvey told gardaí that he believed his behaviour was caused by something wrong with his mind and that he couldn't control himself.
Lorraine Mulvey waived her anonymity in the hope that it would encourage other victims of abuse to report what was happening to them.
She said as a result of the abuse she had "worn a mask" for years, and had not been her true self.
She said after her father's sentencing today she could finally take that mask off.
Ms Mulvey, now 41, said she wanted her father named for what he had done.
She said because of what her father had done to her, she had only had dreams of what her life should have been.
She said she wanted other sexual abuse victims to know that help was out there.
Ray Mulvey pleaded guilty to seven charges of the sexual assault of his daughter between August 1975 and August 1988 at various locations in Co Kildare and Co Cork.
He also admitted raping her on an unknown date between August 1987 and August 1988 in the family home in Cork.
