Jury Continues Work in Historic Child Abuse Case Against Ex-Coach

A 77-year-old former athletics instructor is awaiting verdicts on dozens of charges alleging he sexually assaulted four children during the 1970s and 1980s.

Jury Continues Work in Historic Child Abuse Case Against Ex-Coach

A panel of jurors has reconvened at the Central Criminal Court to weigh evidence against a 77-year-old former athletics instructor accused of sexually assaulting four children decades ago.

The pensioner admitted to five indecent-assault offences before the trial began. He contests the remaining 74 charges, which include 73 indecent-assault counts and one attempted-rape allegation spanning the years 1971 to 1981 at locations around the country. A reporting restriction bars media outlets from identifying him.

Trial judge Mr Justice Mícheál O'Higgins threw out 33 of the original charges midway through proceedings, ruling there was no evidence to sustain them in relation to two of the women. Sixteen of the dismissed counts had concerned the first woman, who had originally brought 29 allegations covering 1975–1977. The five admissions the defendant made relate to other offences against the same woman during 1976.

For the third complainant, 17 indecent-assault counts were also withdrawn, leaving the jury to decide on the remaining 24 indecent-assault charges plus the attempted-rape accusation from 1971–1975.

Two further indecent-assault charges involving a second woman (1975–1977) and one involving a fourth woman (1980–1981) remain before the panel.

The jurors spent slightly more than an hour discussing the case on their first day before being dismissed to resume the next morning.

Source: RTÉ News

Source: RTÉ News