February 2005 Father ‘robbed life’ of girl he abused A YOUNG woman who had been sexually abused by her father told a court yesterday that he had destroyed her life and robbed her of her childhood.  In an emotional address, she said she fought urges to kill herself every day and no words could describe “how your daddy could climb into your bed and rape you”. The victim waived her right to anonymity, telling Trim Circuit Court she wanted her father publicly named for what he had done. Judge Raymond Groarke sentenced Danny McGovern (48), formerly of Fordstown, Athboy, Co Meath, and now with an address at Kells, Co Meath, to four years in prison for sexually abusing his daughter when she was aged between nine and 13. He described the case as “just about the worst” he’d encountered. McGovern had pleaded guilty to five counts of sexual abuse, indecent assault and buggery of his daughter between 1989 and 1993. The court heard he started abusing his daughter when she was nine, first by touching her, but later getting into bed with her and abusing her there and also abusing her while she was watching cartoons. He also made her watch pornographic films and showed her pornographic magazines. He brought her to a shed on one occasion and performed sexual acts on her. He also bored holes in the ceiling of her bedroom and in the bathroom so he could spy on her. He had a rope tied to a trap door in the ceiling with a hangman’s noose on it and he told his daughter he would hang himself if she ever told anyone what he had done to her. On one occasion the victims mother became suspicious but he told her he had been playing with his daughter and had touched her accidentally. The girl did not tell her mother. The abuse stopped when the victim was 13 after she pleaded with him. Since then he had sought counseling and psychiatric help. Clinical psychologist Dr Davina Walsh said McGovern had suffered abuse in his own past and posed little risk of re-offending. Addressing the court, Ms Govern said she had to fight daily to keep away urges to harm herself or kill herself. She said her father had taken away any chance she had had of a normal life or a normal education. “You robbed me of my childhood. No words could describe how your daddy could climb into your bed and rape you,” she said. She said she hoped her father would be given a custodial sentence, but nothing would make up for the life sentence she has to endure. Judge Groarke said the actions were a most appalling series of assaults. “It is depraved, just about as bad as I’ve seen. He betrayed the trust and love of his own child. It is a horrendous account of abuse.”