A woman who was raped and sexually abused by her stepfather as a young child has praised the dedication of the detective who worked on the case for over 25 years.<\/p>\n
Christina Hayes, 36, indicated that she wished to waive her right to anonymity to allow her stepfather, Tommy Barry, to be named in reporting of the case.<\/p>\n
Barry, aged 67, has been jailed for 12 and a half years by Ms Justice Karen O’Connor at the Central Criminal Court.<\/p>\n
Ms Hayes stated in her victim impact statement that now retired Detective Garda Maria Flynn “never stopped seeking justice on my behalf” praising the investigator\u2019s “dedication and persistence”.<\/p>\n
She further acknowledged her primary school teacher, who alerted authorities in early 1999, when the then seven-year-old girl filled out a worksheet during school which stated: “I feel disappointed when my Da has sex with me.”<\/p>\n
The teacher reported the incident to the HSE, the girl was moved from her family home to live with her grandparents and garda\u00ed were alerted.<\/p>\n
“Her actions helped to bring the truth to light,” the woman stated, thanking her teacher for the support she gave her as a small child. “I will always be forever grateful to her,” she said.<\/p>\n
Barry, of St Jude’s Gardens, Dublin 1, denied any wrongdoing. He was convicted by a Central Criminal Court following a two-week trial in January this year of six sample counts of sexual assault and two sample counts of rape of the child when she was between six and seven years old on dates between 1996 and 1998.<\/p>\n
Ms Hayes said in her victim impact statement, described by the sentencing judge as “one of the most eloquent victim impact statements I have ever received”, how she suffered from depression and anxiety, how her mental health suffered and her relationships with men were impacted.<\/p>\n
“The abuse affected my sense of self-worth, how I saw myself and how I let others treat me. It influenced the choices I made,” she said.<\/p>\n
She said she has worked hard to build a life for herself and her young daughter stating that she is determined to protect her child and to ensure that “she grows up safe and valued”.<\/p>\n
“I lost the person I could have been without the world of abuse and the ripple effects,” she said outlining the life-long consequences this has had for her.<\/p>\n
“I will not let it define who I am – I will be the best mother to my daughter and make sure that she will have the childhood I never had. It will be my life’s mission to not let it define who I am.”<\/p>\n
She spoke of carrying the weight of the shame, fear and anger.<\/p>\n
“The child I once was deserves to be heard. A child who had no voice and could not protect herself. I am speaking for that little girl who was robbed of her potential,” Ms Hayes said.<\/p>\n
She said she finds it “deeply painful” that Barry has shown no remorse even though he has had such a long time to reflect on his actions.<\/p>\n
“It is as if the harm I suffered has been dismissed. No child should ever have to experience abuse from someone they trust,” Ms Hayes said, adding that she still attends therapy and will most likely have to continue to do so.<\/p>\n
“I will not let it define who I am – I will be the best mother to my daughter and make sure that she will have the childhood I never had. It will be my life\u2019s mission to not let it define who I am,” she said.<\/p>\n
Det Gda Flynn, who is now retired, told Eilis Brennan SC, prosecuting, that she first became involved in the case when a statement was taken from the child in April 1999. She initially made only allegations of sexual assault and did not tell officers that the man had also raped her.<\/p>\n
At the time Barry was serving a prison sentence and Det Gda Flynn put in a request to question him – she needed to look for permission from the prison authorities at that time. That permission was granted but Barry refused to meet her.<\/p>\n
Barry escaped from jail<\/p>\n
She asked to be informed as soon as Barry was released from prison but in July 1999, having been moved to Shelton Abbey prison, he escaped from jail. The detective put out a warning on the garda Pulse system and continued to make inquiries as to Barry\u2019s whereabouts over the years.<\/p>\n
In 2003, she received information that he had been working in a pub in the UK. She made attempts to locate him but was unsuccessful.<\/p>\n
In early 2016, Det Gda Flynn was informed that there was a photograph of Barry on Facebook from two or three years previously and she started the search again. This ultimately led to a fingerprint check in July 2016 with the UK authorities.<\/p>\n
A positive match was identified and it transpired that Barry had been living under a number of different aliases.<\/p>\n
Ms Hayes was then asked to review the statement she had made 17 years previously and she indicated that Barry had raped her. This enabled the garda\u00ed to upgrade their investigation and Det Gda Flynn secured a European Arrest Warrant.<\/p>\n
Barry was charged and extradited back to Ireland to face trial in January this year.<\/p>\n
Barry has a number of previous convictions from Ireland, Scotland and England under a few different names including indecent assault of a female in 1986 for which he received a three-year prison sentence. He also has convictions for aggravated burglary, assault, robbery, arson and theft.<\/p>\n
His offending spans from the early 1970s to 2004.<\/p>\n
Dominic McGinn SC, defending, told the court that he has “no instruction” from Barry in relation to the verdict.<\/p>\n
Sentencing Barry, Ms Justice Karen O\u2019Connor acknowledged the work of Ms Hayes’s primary school teacher who she said “was extraordinarily attentive and thoughtful in how she addressed matters when a young child was making such comments”.<\/p>\n
She noted the comments “clearly indicated” that the young child was more knowledgeable of sexual matters than she should have been.<\/p>\n
‘The level of depravity is incalculable’<\/p>\n
Justice O\u2019Connor referred to the fact that the teacher already had her suspicions when she handed the class out a worksheet in November 1998 which was returned the following January with the child\u2019s comment: “I feel disappointed when my Da has sex with me”.<\/p>\n
The judge referred to the teacher\u2019s evidence during the trial that in all her years teaching both in Ireland and another jurisdiction she had “never ever” come across a child filling out a worksheet in such a manner.<\/p>\n
Justice O\u2019Connor also referred to how Barry caused a delay in the case progressing, including absconding from prison in Ireland and using different aliases when he lived in the UK.<\/p>\n
She said it was “a particularly egregious violation of a young child”.<\/p>\n
“The level of depravity is incalculable,” Justice O\u2019Connor said before she set a headline sentence of 14 and a half years for the rape offence and eight years for the sexual assault offences.<\/p>\n
She then imposed concurrent sentences of 12 and half years and six and half years in prison. The sentence was backdated to when Barry first went into custody.<\/p>\n
Ms Justice O\u2019Connor acknowledged the “trojan efforts” made by former detective Flynn in her efforts to catch Barry and bring him to justice.<\/p>\n
She addressed Ms Hayes and told her she has dealt with the case with “great dignity”.<\/p>\n
“I was very young and vulnerable \u2013 I depended on adults to keep me safe.”<\/p>\n
“I wish you the very best for the future. I understand this will live with you for the rest of your life but I hope you get some comfort that this part of the process is over,” Ms Justice O\u2019Connor said.<\/p>\n
She had previously spoken directly to the woman, after she had delivered in her victim impact statement during a sentence hearing last March, telling her it was “one of the most eloquent victim impact statements I have ever received”.<\/p>\n
“You should be very proud of how you expressed yourself and your generosity,” the judge said, referring to the woman thanking those who had helped her get through the court process and her expressions of gratitude to Det Gda Flynn and her teacher.<\/p>\n
“Your grandparents would be very proud of you today,” Ms Justice O\u2019Connor continued.<\/p>\n
She said her words would help other children who have been similarly abused and even if they don\u2019t find themselves being able to report it – “at least they will know that it happens to other”.<\/p>\n
Ms Justice O\u2019Connor acknowledged the “enormous courage” the woman had shown and told her “I am very grateful to you”.<\/p>\n
She said she sincerely hopes that her relationship with her other siblings will continue to improve and encouraged the woman to “take whatever help you need”.<\/p>\n
Woman’s siblings were taken into care<\/p>\n
In her victim impact statement the woman told the court Barry was someone who should have cared for her and protected her – referring to the fact that he married her mother when she was four years old and she considered him to be her father.<\/p>\n
“I was very young and vulnerable – I depended on adults to keep me safe,” she said<\/p>\n
She spoke of the devastation of being separated from her siblings after they were taken into care, and she went to live with her grandparents, when the abuse was disclosed in 1999.<\/p>\n
“We were separated at a time when we needed each other the most, fractured at a time when we should have been with each other,” she continued.<\/p>\n
She said she and her siblings have “lasting trust issues” adding “it has shaped how we relate to each other”.<\/p>\n
“We were given wounds that none of us asked for,” she said they were deprived of the safety and closeness of siblings growing up together adding that is something “no child should have to endure”.<\/p>\n
She said she was forced to grow up far earlier than any other child and felt an overwhelming need to protect her siblings when she was just a child herself.<\/p>\n
“No child should feel responsible for protecting others,” the woman stated.<\/p>\n
The woman spoke of how she dropped out early from school and she never tried to get any exams. She spoke of how this impacted her opportunities and confidence in her employment in latter years.<\/p>\n
She said the abuse continued to impact and change her life – “the trauma followed me into later life”.<\/p>\n
She spoke of her grandparents, who have since died, and said they provided her with the love, care and stability that she needed.<\/p>\n
She thanked her friends and family for their support and said their presence, patience and belief in her help helped her knowing that she was not alone and helped her to face each step of the process with courage.<\/p>\n
After thanking both Det Gda Flynn and her teacher, she thanked Justice O\u2019Connor and the jury.<\/p>\n
She said hoped her words helped convey the depth of harm that had been caused to her.<\/p>\n
Det Gda Flynn said that Barry acted as father to the woman and she looked on him as her dad.<\/p>\n
The detective said that Barry and Ms Hayes did normal father\/daughter activities such as going to the park. He began to sexually assault her – calling her his little princess and groping her with and without her clothes on.<\/p>\n
Ms Hayes later told garda\u00ed that she had been raped by him by him after he lay her down on the couch.<\/p>\n
She also said Barry spoke to her in a sexual way.<\/p>\n
Det Gda Flynn said Barry took the opportunity to abuse his step-daughter when her mother was out of the house and she said the abuse occurred every few weeks.<\/p>\n
The court heard that Barry told Ms Hayes not to tell anyone and that they would both get into trouble if she told anyone.<\/p>\n
Mr McGinn said his client will find custody more difficult as he has certain health issues. He said Barry is in a stable relationship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A woman who was raped and sexually abused by her stepfather as a young child has praised the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":387998,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[61,60,43],"class_list":{"0":"post-408655","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ireland","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408655","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=408655"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/408655\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/387998"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=408655"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=408655"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=408655"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}