SEAN BYRNE OF BALLYMITTY FOUND GUILTY OF CHILD ABUSE IN WEXFORD

In a significant case that has drawn considerable attention in County Wexford, Sean Byrne, a resident of Mooretown, Ballymitty, has been convicted of four counts of indecent assault that took place in the early 1980s. The trial, which began on Wednesday, May 7th, 2014, lasted for one week and culminated in a jury verdict that found Byrne guilty of abusing his niece by marriage, Assumpta Carthy.

Assumpta Carthy, the daughter of the late County Councillor Leo Carthy, chose to waive her right to anonymity in order to speak openly about her ordeal. During the proceedings, it was revealed that Ms. Carthy, originally from Broadway, was prompted to report the abuse to Gardaí after her father’s death in 2010. She recounted that during her father’s wake, while she was greeting many mourners, she inadvertently shook Byrne’s hand before realizing his identity. This moment triggered a vivid flashback, causing her to feel as if she had been transported back to her childhood, reliving the trauma she endured.

Ms. Carthy described her emotional distress during the funeral, particularly when she was tasked with closing her father’s coffin. She explained that Byrne was present in the room at that time, which she found upsetting. She expressed her feelings of violation, stating, “It was meant to be private, only family; he wasn’t meant to be there. I was so upset that I had to leave the room.”

The court was also informed that her father, Cllr. Leo Carthy, was unaware of the abuse at the time it occurred. The offences took place on two separate occasions during the summer of 1984, when Ms. Carthy was a young girl. Additional counts involved incidents at Christmas of that same year and during the summer of 1985. All four assaults happened while she was staying at Byrne’s home during school holidays, highlighting a pattern of abuse during times when she was in his care.

Throughout the trial, the court heard detailed accounts of the abuse, which had remained hidden for decades. The jury’s verdict marked a significant moment of justice for Ms. Carthy, who demonstrated remarkable bravery in coming forward to confront her past and seek accountability for the crimes committed against her.