Dad cleared of raping girl

Dad cleared of raping girl

29 February 2012

A DOWNPATRICK man has been acquitted of sexually abusing his young daughter following a week-long trial at the Crown Court.

The man, who cannot be named to protect his daughter’s identity, remained composed when he was cleared of raping her once and indecently assaulting her on seven occasions between 1996 and 2000.

But there were emotional scenes in the public gallery when the jury of 11 women and one man delivered their not-guilty verdict, which was made following a majority vote.

The jury had previously been directed to find the man not guilty of one further count of indecent assault and he was acquitted of two counts of common assault on a previous occasion.

During his trial, the man had denied abusing the young girl in her bedroom, in his own bedroom and, on one occasion, in the hallway of her home when she was off school sick.

He said his wife had coerced his daughter into making the allegations and said the charges against him were “the product of his wife’s suspicions.”

He said he had for the most part a happy family although he admitted family life could be stressful on occasions.

“The love and affection of the children was what kept me going,” he said.

“The children were everything to me.”

He told the court that he had not seen his daughter since the allegations were first made and said he had left the family home that same day.

He said he did not believe his daughter was deceitful, but believed she was a “pawn” in what he described as his wife’s conspiracy.

During the trial, the court had heard evidence from three members of the defendant’s family, including the man’s nephew who said the alleged victim had made contact with him in 2007 and was in touch almost daily at that time.

He said she made various claims during their contact, including claims that she and her mother had cancer, that she was pregnant and that she had taken 41 pills.

He indicated to the court that he did not believe some of what she said.

Another cousin of the alleged victim said she too had been told similar stories by the girl.

The alleged victim’s aunt also produced text messages to the court that had been typed by the alleged victim in which she referred to the things her father “did to her.”

In a text message, the girl wrote; “You cannot stop loving your dad. I would not have life if it were not for him. I still love him. I just wish he was a normal daddy.”