JOHN KIERNAN'S SHOCKING ABUSE IN CO CAVAN: VICTIMS REVEAL HORRIFIC PAST

In October 2018, a disturbing case emerged involving John Kiernan, an 86-year-old man from Co Cavan, who was found to have committed heinous acts of sexual abuse against young siblings nearly six decades ago. Despite the severity of his crimes, Kiernan was spared immediate imprisonment due to his advanced age and poor health, a decision that has sparked considerable controversy and outrage.

John Joe Kiernan, a father of two, was convicted of multiple counts of indecent assault and rape committed on the victims when they were children, aged between four and ten. The assaults took place on or near the family farm in Arva, where Kiernan was employed as a labourer. The court heard that Kiernan had subjected the young brother and sister to a series of sexual abuses during the late 1950s and early 1960s, with the girl also being raped in her bedroom at an unspecified time between 1959 and 1964.

During the proceedings at the Central Criminal Court, Kiernan pleaded guilty to six counts of indecently assaulting the boy between 1958 and 1963, and five counts of abusing the girl within the same period. Additionally, he admitted to raping the girl, an act that took place in her bedroom on an unknown date between 1959 and 1964. The judge, Michael White, acknowledged the gravity of these crimes but noted that due to Kiernan’s age and health, he would not be sentenced to prison immediately. Instead, the court imposed a sentence of eight years for the rape, five years for the indecent assaults, and two years for the other charges, all of which were suspended on the condition that Kiernan maintains peace.

It was also revealed that Kiernan had previously served time in prison for similar offences committed against three boys and a girl, with these crimes occurring between 1963 and 1973. This history of offending added a layer of complexity to the case, highlighting a pattern of predatory behaviour spanning decades.

During the sentencing hearing, Justice White commended the remarkable bravery of the victims, who had come forward to Gardaí last year despite the long passage of time. The victims, now in their 60s, requested that their identities remain anonymous, although they expressed a desire for Kiernan’s name to be publicly known. One of the victims recounted her experiences, stating, “I never remember being afraid. This was just normal life for me.” She described how Kiernan would indecently assault her while she sat on his knee, and recounted an incident where she was in a field with her father. Kiernan, she said, gave her a drink resembling whiskey before raping her, and she felt as if she was in a trance, lying still while he called her a “good girl.”

The court heard that on another occasion, Kiernan was caught assaulting the girl when his mother entered the room. She responded by physically confronting him, shouting at him to “get her out of here,” and then taking the girl outside into the back garden. There, Kiernan threw her to the ground, placed his foot on her, and threatened her with words that have haunted her for years: “Don’t say anything. I’ll bury you with all the other bones around here. No one will find you.”

The victim explained that these words left a lasting impact, causing her to believe that other children might be buried in the ground nearby. Justice White described this as a “spine-chilling threat,” emphasizing that Kiernan’s actions demonstrated a clear understanding of the wrongfulness of his conduct.

In emotional victim impact statements, the sister detailed how the abuse had shattered her childhood innocence and compromised her sense of safety within her family home. She expressed gratitude for the support she received after coming forward and shared that she had carried the trauma for 60 years. Her brother also spoke about his feelings of shock and horror upon learning of the abuse inflicted on his sister. He admitted that disclosing the abuse to his wife was stressful but expressed relief now that he had done so, affirming that “this is not my fault.”

Overall, the case has highlighted the long-lasting scars left by such crimes and raised questions about justice and accountability for older offenders. Despite the court’s decision to suspend Kiernan’s sentences, the emotional and psychological toll on the victims remains profound, and the community continues to grapple with the implications of this disturbing case from Co Cavan.