Father jailed for repeated rape, sexual abuse of daughter

A man has been jailed for 11-and-a-half years for repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting his young daughter after coming back into her life when she was six years old.

Cyril Mullane, 51, of Borefield, Strokestown in Co Roscommon, was found guilty by a jury earlier this year of 25 counts of rape and sexual assault.

His daughter, who is now 19, waived her anonymity and said she hoped other survivors would be encouraged to come forward.

The court heard Chloe Mullane was excited when her father Cyril came back into her life when she was a small girl.

He and her mother had a brief relationship and he moved away. When she was six he began visiting her home to get to know her and she would stay with him.

Instead of the normal loving relationship she wanted however, the court heard her childhood years were poisoned and she was left “confused, isolated and angry.”

Cyril Mullane persistently and repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted his daughter over five years until she was 12 years old.

Judge Kerida Naidoo said he led her to believe that this was how fathers behaved.

A jury found him guilty of 25 offences between June 2011 and September 2016.

Ms Mullane told the court she was still struggling with the effects of the abuse and felt like broken and damaged goods.

Judge Naidoo sentenced Mullane to 13 years in prison but suspended the last 18 months to take mitigating factors into account.

He said Mullane’s offences took place over most of his daughter’s childhood and he was guilty of a very significant breach of trust after re-entering her life.