COLIN REYNOLDS SHEDS TEARS IN BALLYSHANNON COURTROOM AFTER SEXUAL ASSAULT ON 12-YEAR-OLD GIRL

In a case that has shocked the community of Ballyshannon, County Donegal, a 27-year-old man named Colin Reynolds faced the court on charges related to the sexual assault of a young girl. The incident, which took place over a period spanning from June to August 2002, involved Reynolds, who was 19 at the time, engaging in inappropriate and criminal behavior with a girl who was only 12 years old at the time.

Reynolds, a father of two, had pleaded guilty to molesting the young girl, an act that has since become a source of distress and controversy within the local community. He was one of six men brought before the courts in connection with this case, with Reynolds being the third to be sentenced. Another man involved in the case is scheduled to face sentencing later in the day.

During the proceedings at Donegal Circuit Court, Reynolds appeared visibly emotional, fighting back tears as he offered an apology to his young victim for the pain and suffering he had caused her. The court heard that Reynolds had met the girl in a schoolyard shelter on her Confirmation day, a significant event in her life. According to the evidence presented, Reynolds had initially been kissing her 15-year-old friend but then moved away to engage in a sexual act with the 12-year-old girl less than two months later.

The court was also informed that Reynolds later met his now-wife shortly after these events and chose to ignore numerous phone calls and text messages sent to him from the young girl via multiple phones. Garda Liam Feeney, the investigating officer, stated that Reynolds had been troubled by these memories since the incidents and that they had never left his mind.

Reynolds, in his testimony, expressed remorse and regret, mentioning that the recent sentencing had cast a shadow over his wedding day just last month, when he married his wife Sylvia. He described himself as immature at the time and claimed that he had not intended for the sexual acts to occur. In a heartfelt statement, Reynolds told the court, “I am very sorry for any wrongdoing, especially to [the victim’s name]. I know it must be very hard for her. I do feel sorry for her. She had a tough time. I am sorry for any hurt I have caused, and I hope she can move on with her life now.”

The court also heard from Garda Feeney that the young victim kept a detailed diary, which included the names of 60 men, approximately 21 of whom she claimed to have had sexual encounters with. In her victim statement, read aloud in court, the now 20-year-old woman described her struggles with mental health, including her attempts to run away and use drugs to escape her painful reality. She revealed that her body bore scars from self-harm and expressed feelings of loss and despair, stating, “I hated my life and I wanted to die. I was a child. I do not feel raped. I feel robbed of my childhood.”

Garda Feeney confirmed that the young woman was now in a relationship and was working diligently to return to full-time education, despite the trauma she endured. The case has brought to light the devastating impact of such crimes on victims and the importance of justice in protecting vulnerable members of society.