€100,000 for woman abused by Leitrim man

Added: 18-07-2012

A man has been ordered by a court to pay 100,000 euro in damages to a young woman who he sexually assaulted when she was a child.

President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns found Laurence Cleary of New Houses Kinlough Co Leitrim had sexually assaulted Christina Foley who had been a neighbour, on a number of occasions during the 1990's.

Cleary who is now in his eighties, was not present in court throughout the case and had to give his evidence on commission meaning evidence was taken outside court by a legal person due to illness.

He had denied the allegations.

According to this morning's Irish Independent, Mr Justice Kearns said he accepted evidence of 27-year-old Christina Foley, who is now living abroad, and rejected Cleary's evidence.

The court heard the assaults began when Ms Foley was eight years of age.

They stopped when she was in her early teens when she temporarily moved to another area.

Her counsel, Anthony Barr, said what happened to her had had damaged her capacity for social interaction and to sustain normal and human relations.

Mr Justice Kearns said as a result of what had happened to her, she was entitled to recover damages of 100,000 euro plus costs from Cleary.

Following his ruling, the judge was told that Ms Foley was waiving any right to anonymity so that Cleary could be named in public.