HARROWING | 

Sligo man who sexually abused his baby sister over five-year period avoids jail

Eugene Gilligan pleaded guilty to 21 counts of indecently assaulting his sister for five years from when she was seven

Sligo Champion

Today at 07:50

A Sligo woman who was indecently assaulted by her brother over a five year period from the age of 7 to twelve in their family home in Collooney has said she was disappointed her abuser received a suspended sentence.

The victim waived her right to anonymity.

Her brother, Eugene Gilligan (57) of Knockbeg, Collooney faced 96 counts of indecent assault, admitting to 21 sample charges. The location of the abuse was at the family home, Adnac House, Knockbeg, Collooney.

He pleaded guilty at the Circuit Court in January to 21 counts. He was aged 12 to 17 when he abused his sister.

Rosemarie Gilligan read out a harrowing, emotive and lengthy Victim Impact Statement at the Circuit Court in June where she outlined how the devastating affect the abuse she endured impacted both her life as a child and an adult.

Judge Karen Fergus, after taking into account both the mitigating and aggravating factors, sentenced Gilligan to two years suspended for three years on Monday.

Ms Gilligan spoke to The Sligo Champion following the sentencing saying she was disappointed.

“I must say I am disappointed with the outcome, it is a suspended sentence and I was actually hoping that it would have been another result today but I respect the decision of the Judge.

“I would like to commend the team that have supported me, An Garda Síochána, the Director of Public Prosecutions, they have been excellent, they are doing fantastic work and they have made a real difference in my life.”

She said she hoped her story will help other victims of sexual abuse who are afraid to speak out, no matter how long has passed.

“I think it’s really important and as you can see from my case even this happened many years ago, in my case we’re going back over 40 years ago, it is still taken very seriously and it is investigated, so I would encourage other people if they have similar experiences to speak out.

“I think it’s only if you’ve experienced this trauma that you can really appreciate the impact it has on your life and I know from experiencing trauma, the only way you can move on with your life is acknowledging it and dealing with it and it’s the same for any trauma.

“So that’s why it’s particularly important that things have happened in the past, that they are investigated and that we can deal with the trauma and move on with it.”

She also thanked Detective Lynda Loughlin and her colleagues in Sligo and also Mr Leo Mulrooney BL State Prosecutor and State Solicitor Ms Elisa McHugh.

She said: “While I have had to wait over 40 years to have my voice heard, it is finally the State that has listened to me, it has given me a voice, it has dealt with what happened to me as a child.

“Only if you have experienced prolonged sexual abuse in childhood, in my case several years, can you understand the trauma of prolonged sexual abuse in childhood,” she added.

The previous court hearing in June heard how Ms Gilligan was routinely abused by her brother mostly in the family home on a farm in Knockbeg, Collooney from 1978 to 1984.

Ms Gilligan said that after 40 years of carrying the trauma, she finally felt her voice had been heard.

The victim was aged seven at the earliest incident and twelve at the last, while her brother was aged 12 to 17 years.

The accused was arraigned at Sligo Circuit Court on January 10th 2023 and pleaded guilty to 21 counts on a full facts basis. It was agreed that counts 75 onwards would be withdrawn on a nolle prosequi basis.

The abuse started with ‘a doctors and nurses game’ in December 1978.

She was aged seven and was upstairs in her brother’s bedroom. It was evening time and her brother suggested they play a game of doctors and nurses. He started to rub her genitals with his hand and was examining that area.

She didn’t want to play the game. Soon after he started rubbing himself against her and during the incidents which were of a similar nature, there was never any conversation between them.

Ms Gilligan set out that the abuse was consistent and she thought in terms of the frequency it happened approximately 50 times a year.

The abuse was predictable and there was no fixed day or time when it occurred but it was consistent.

The main pattern was her brother coming into her room during the night when she would be asleep.

He would wake her up and he would be on top of her. She felt powerless as he was physically stronger than her. It was always dark.

The abuse always took the same form. She remembered feelings of loneliness and powerlessness.

The barrister for the accused said his client regretted what happened and if he could turn back the clock he would.

A letter of apology from Gilligan to the victim was read out. In it, he said she did nothing wrong. He said he was very sorry for what he did.

The feelings of guilt and shame he put on his family and the trauma she suffered by his actions.

He said he had taken advantage of her as her older brother and he should have looked out for her.

She should have felt safe but he destroyed her safety by what he did to her.

He said what he did was very wrong. He said he was very remorseful for what he did and that none of it was her fault.

He said his sister was a good person.

In passing sentencing, Judge Fergus said Gilligan pleaded guilty to 21 counts of indecently assaulting Rosemarie Gilligan when he was arraigned at Sligo Circuit Court on January 10th 2023. The case was adjourned to give the Probation Service time for a report and also for a psychology report on the accused.

He pleaded guilty on a full facts basis.

She said the victim was the youngest of seven children a seven year old child when the offences first occurred on the family home from the age of 7 and the accused was aged 12 when the abuse started.

The offence occurred first by playing a doctors and nurses game where he would come into her room and get on top of her and rub himself off her.

In December 2020, the abuse was discovered when Ms Gilligan was attending bereavement counselling following the death of her toddler son.

The judge said she waived her right to anonymity.

She had outlined the affect the abuse had on every aspect of her life.

She had felt unsafe at home and explained how anxious she was to leave Sligo and Ireland to escape the memories.

She spoke about difficulties in forming intimate relationships and outlined the shame and embarrassment she felt.

She had a lack of trust in people.

She felt as a child there was no one there to support her in the family and she felt partly let down by her now deceased parents and some of her family members.

Judge Fergus said Ms Gilligan should be commended for her insightful Victim Impact Statement where she outlined the huge impact the sexual abuse has had on her life, both as a child and an adult.

She said to Ms Gilligan, who was present in court with her sister, that she hoped she can move on with her life and continue the healing process.

Judge Fergus said in sentencing, the court has to look at all the aggravating and mitigating factors.

The aggravating factors in this case was how prolonged the abuse lasted, which had an impact on the victim who was robbed of her childhood innocence.

The offending went on many years. There was a breach of trust between the accused, her brother, who was five years older.

The mitigating factors were the accused admitted in the early stages and pleaded guilty which relieved the victim of having to go through a trial.

He had no previous convictions and had never come to the attention of the gardaí.

The offending was over 40 years ago and noted his age at the time.

The Probation Report said he was at low risk of reoffending and was attending counselling.

He was now aged 57 and she said the accused had suffered physical violence and aggression when he was younger from his father.

He had lost his business as a result of the case and lost a means of income.

A conviction would place him on the sex offenders’ register and also the ignominy in the local community of being labelled a convicted sex offender.

His health had suffered and he had a heart attack in 2023.

His family were devastated by it. He was described as a loving husband, father, neighbour and friend.

He had taken full responsibility for it and said the victim was blameless in all of this.

She convicted and sentenced Gilligan to two years in prison, suspended for a three year period.

Conditions included that he enter a bond to keep the peace, be under the supervision of the Probation Service for 12 months, attend counselling and follow up any recommendations from the services he is involved with.

Mr Leo Mulrooney BL with Ms Elisa McHugh (State Solicitor) led the Prosecution, while Mr Ciaran O’Loughlin SC with Mr Fiachra Treacy BL instructed by David O’Neill solicitors appeared for Gilligan.