Westmeath brothers jailed for sexual assault of girls
Two brothers from Westmeath, Ireland, have been sentenced to prison for the sexual assault of teenage girls during the 1990s. The court heard that the men groomed their victims, who were babysitting for their families, and plied them with alcohol.
Why it matters
This case highlights the long-term pursuit of justice for victims of historical sexual abuse and the lifting of reporting restrictions once legal proceedings conclude.
Two Westmeath brothers who sexually assaulted teenage girls in the mid-nineties can now be identified for the first time.
John Owens, 72, with an address at Cois Abhainn, Multyfarnham was jailed last February for eight years after pleading guilty to nine counts of sexual assault of three teenage girls.
He could not be identified at the time because his brother, Martin Owens, aged 66, was facing trial in April for sexual assaults of one of these victims as well as a fourth victim.
On 13 April last, Martin Owens of Greenville, Dublin Road, Castlepollard, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to sexually assaulting Deirdre Boyhan and Lorraine Kiernan on dates in 1994 and 1996.
Earlier this month, he pleaded guilty to four more counts of sexually assaulting Deirdre Boyhan on dates in 1994 and 1995.
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