EIGHT people are to stand trial accused of being involved in the serious sexual abuse of children in Downpatrick stretching back 35 years.
The six men and two women are facing a total of 95 charges which span the entire spectrum of sex offences including rape, incest, buggery, gross indecency towards a child and indecent assault.
One of the accused, a former RUC officer, is also accused of possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear of violence, making threats to kill and possession of a weapon in suspicious circumstances.
The eight appeared at a preliminary enquiry at Downpatrick District Court on Thursday and were returned for trial to the Crown Court later this year.
Among the defendants is a 58 year-old woman who faces 48 charges, including 25 counts of cruelty towards five children. She is also accused of committing 13 offences of gross indecency towards some of the children and three charges of inciting one of the children to commit gross indecency on another.
The woman is also charged with two counts of indecently assaulting a young boy and with committing incest with her brothers.
The other defendants are:
• The woman’s 59 year-old husband who faces 27 charges including raping young girls, indecently assaulting them, gross indecency and 21 charges of cruelty to children.
• A 53 year-old former RUC officer who, as well as the firearms and threat charges, is facing charges of rape, indecent assault, gross indecency and common assault.
• A 59 year-old man who faces a total of four charges including rape, gross indecency and indecent assault on a child.
• A 77 year-old man, who is charged with nine sexual assaults including rape, gross indecency with a child and indecent assault on a female.
• A 61 year-old woman who has been charged with two counts of gross indecency with a child.
• A 70 year-old man who is charged with incest with his sister, gross indecency and aiding and abetting the buggery of a young boy.
• A 63 year-old man who is charged with four counts including buggery of a boy and gross indecency with a child.
The offences are alleged to have been committed between 1978 and 1990 in the greater Downpatrick area. None of the defendants can be named to protect the identity of the alleged victims.
The defendants were released on bail but a detective inspector said he had liaised with Social Services.
“In the absence of any mechanisms to protect children in the families or in the wider community, they are calling for no contact with children under 18 years-of-age,” said the police officer.
“They want any relationship or association to be affirmed with Social Services,” he said.
The other bail conditions are they are to have no contact with the injured parties or crown witnesses; must reside at their addresses in Northern Ireland; they must contact police to arrange any travel arrangements and they are to have no association with children directly or indirectly.