MICHAEL HUGHES FROM CO MEATH JAILED FOR DECADES-OLD CHILD SEX ABUSE IN NOBBER

In a case that has shocked the community of Nobber, Co Meath, Michael Hughes, aged 57, has been sentenced to a year in prison after being convicted of multiple counts of indecent assault against his sister, Annamarie. Hughes, who resides in Cluain Beag, was found guilty of abusing his sibling over a period spanning from December 1971 to October 1973, a time when the law did not recognize a child under 14 as capable of being raped, which affected the charges he faced.

Despite pleading guilty to four counts of rape and four counts of indecent assault, Hughes was not convicted of rape due to legal limitations at the time. The law then stipulated that children under 14 could not be legally considered capable of rape, even if they had been victimized in such a manner. Nevertheless, the court's verdict confirmed his guilt on multiple counts of sexual abuse, and he is now serving a prison sentence for his actions.

Throughout the proceedings, Annamarie, who chose to waive her right to anonymity, bravely shared her harrowing story in an exclusive interview with the Irish Sun on Sunday. Her testimony shed light on the long-lasting trauma inflicted by her brother, emphasizing her belief that Hughes remains a danger to children even as he approaches the end of his sentence.

In her own words, she expressed a mixture of relief and ongoing fear, stating, “This will be the first time he will be afraid. Now that he’s behind bars, he’s the one who will be in terror in a dark room.” She described how Hughes’ arrogance and confidence had been evident during court appearances, where he smirked at her, but that this bravado had vanished once he was led away in a prison van. “He came into the court thinking he was walking out again but he left as a convicted paedophile,” she said.

She recounted the devastating impact of the abuse, which began when she was just three years old and continued until she was 15, with daily assaults that she endured repeatedly. Her words conveyed the profound damage inflicted upon her childhood, including physical harm that she believes has affected her ability to have children. She revealed that she has struggled with suicidal thoughts, a consequence of the trauma, and described how her trust in her surroundings has been shattered.

“I live alone but even though I know no-one could come into my bedroom, I’m waiting for the bedroom door to open,” she explained. “If I do sleep, I have flashbacks of him; they don’t go away. When I came out of court one day, I had to ask my sister for perfume because I could smell him. Smells can set you off, colours can... anything could remind me of the horrors I endured.”

Her emotional account continued as she described her ongoing struggles with her identity, stating, “I don’t look in mirrors because I can see his face. I don’t have an identity, I have his identity. I can’t take a bath because I’m still panicking that he will come through the door. He always had control but now it’s my turn.” She also shared her coping mechanism of creating an imaginary friend named Cecil, a dinosaur, which she used to replace her feelings of helplessness with a different kind of monster.

Hughes’ criminal history was first brought to light in 1994 when a complaint was made to gardai, but no investigation followed at that time. It was only after Annamarie contacted authorities in 2011 that Hughes’ past was fully exposed. She recounted the distressing moment she saw her brother at a family event, where he appeared to be enjoying himself, smirking at her as if nothing had happened. This encounter pushed her to break her silence and seek justice.

“I was swamped with guilt but here he was enjoying himself without a care in the world,” she said. “When I suffered a mental breakdown after this encounter, I knew it was time to come forward and fight back. I had carried this guilt and shame for so long and I never told anyone. I was his favourite. He gave me pocket money, and this was all about control, grooming, and conditioning.”

Despite Hughes’ guilty plea, Annamarie expressed her belief that his actions were far worse than what was officially acknowledged. She emphasized that he knew exactly what he was doing, and that his manipulative behavior was a reflection of his twisted nature. She lamented that the case could have been prosecuted earlier, in 1994, which might have prevented further suffering.

She voiced her concern that Hughes remains a threat to children, stating, “He only stopped abusing me when I fought back. Like all bullies, he stopped when he was confronted. He must also have known it was evil because he was brought up in a Catholic family.”

While she welcomed her brother’s sentencing, she called on Ireland’s justice system to show greater compassion and understanding towards victims of abuse. She recounted her frustrations with delays in her case, including instances where Hughes claimed to be suicidal or sought psychiatric treatment, yet appeared healthy and untroubled at social events. “There’s no doubt the justice system needs to show more compassion to victims. It should work more with the victims. They need to have a better understanding,” she urged.

During the recent court hearing, Mr. Justice Patrick McCarthy described her Victim Impact Statement as one of the most harrowing he had ever read. The judge acknowledged her ongoing suffering, stating, “Sadly, up to now she has not managed to recover from what happened to her as a child and she still suffers. This woman lives in constant fear every day that he would get her. I don’t think he was so young as to appreciate the seriousness of what he was doing.”