A woman who was raped by her older brother when she was a child disclosed the abuse to her family on the night of the Late Late Toy Show in 2020 because she could not face another Christmas with him at the table.
The 36-year-old man was handed a global sentence of nine years, with the final year suspended, for the rape and sexual assault of his younger sister at the Central Criminal Court today.
The victim was approximately seven when the abuse started in 2001, while the man was then 14 and was around 20 years old when the abuse came to an end in 2008.
The man, who cannot be named to protect his victim's identity, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of two counts of rape and two counts of sexual assault.
He pleaded guilty before the trial to three counts of sexual assault and pleaded guilty to two counts of rape during the trial.
Imposing sentence Mr Justice Paul Burns said these offences were of a "grave nature", that the man took advantage of the age disparity between him and the victim and "groomed her to believe their relationship was normal".
He noted that the abuse escalated and included violence.
'Profound and lasting' impact
Mr Justice Burns said the victim impact statement outlined the "profound and lasting" impact of the abuse on the victim.
He said she "had nothing to feel shame and guilt about as the responsibility lies solely with the accused". The judge also expressed the court's "sincere sympathy" to her and best wishes for her future.
He said he had to take into account that the man was a juvenile for most of his offending and around 20 when the final incident of rape occurred.
However, the judge added that "offending was a course of conduct engaged over a number of years - offences can't be treated as stand-alone".
Mr Justice Burns noted that the man spoke at a previous sentence hearing during which he said he accepted the verdict and apologised.
However, the judge said his expressions of remorse would "carry more weight" if he had acknowledged his wrongdoing earlier.
The judge said the court "believed there is a reasonable prospect of rehabilitation", noting that the man had not come to garda attention since these offences occurred.
He said the man would have an "opportunity to prove he is a better person than he was at the time of offending" upon his release from custody.
Having considered the mitigation and the man's personal circumstances, Mr Justice Burns imposed a global sentence of nine years with the final 12 months suspended for three years on strict conditions.
