Woman raped by ex-husband 'devastated' to learn he was also raping her teen sister, court hears

By Sonya McLean

A woman who was raped by her former husband has spoken of her devastation to learn that he was also raping her younger teenage sister, saying she will be “forever haunted” by the fact that she let the girl down.

William Kavanagh (67) of Millbrook Court, Waterford, was convicted following a trial at the Central Criminal Court of a total of 59 offences against both women.

On Monday, he was given consecutive sentences totalling 17 and half years. The final year of the sentence was suspended on strict conditions.

Kavanagh had pleaded not guilty to three counts of anal rape of his former wife and not guilty to the 56 charges relating to her younger sister, who was a teenager at the time of the offending.

The charges against the younger sister ranged from sexual assault, oral rape, anal rape, and vaginal rape from the time she was about seven years old to 16 years old. The offences took place between 1996 until 2006 in both Waterford and Wexford, where Kavanagh was living at the time.

Kavanagh is a well-known local musician who used to busk around the Waterford and Kilkenny area. He has four previous convictions including two for assault. He does not accept the jury’s verdict and maintains his innocence, the court heard.

Conor O’Doherty SC, prosecuting, told the court that while both women want Kavanagh to be named and understand that they may be identified in reporting of the case, they do not wish for their own names to be published.

The now 49-year-old woman (his former wife) read her victim impact statement into the record.

'I can't escape the guilt'

The woman said she now understands that while she was asleep upstairs in their home, Kavanagh was raping her younger sister downstairs.

“I never thought she would hide something so serious from me. This devastates me because we were so close, I can’t escape the guilt. My heart felt like someone was slicing into it with a knife. I was devastated,” she said.

“I am horrified that anyone can be so evil. I am terrified for my children’s future,” the woman said.

Referring to developing a relationship with Kavanagh as a 17 year old, while he was a married man and 18 years her senior, the woman said: “I should have been carefree at 17 years and excited about my future.”

“I was just an innocent teenager desperate to be loved and instead I brought a monster into my family,” the woman continued.

She said she will “be forever haunted by how much I let her (sister) down.”

Her younger sister, now 36, also read her statement. She said: “I am so haunted by what he has done to me. The abuse took away opportunities I may have had.”

“If I had never been abused, I could have lived but because of him I barely survived,” she said, adding that Kavanagh “nearly won” when she struggled, because “I didn’t want to be on this earth any more”.

“He robbed me of a normal childhood, he stole my virginity, he violated my whole body and soul. I am a survivor of child sexual abuse. I was groomed from six to 16 years old. I got away physically, but mentally I can never escape,” she said.

“By finally getting justicem I can take my power back. It took immense courage to take the stand here and speak my truth. Here I am now, taking my life back,” the woman continued.

She thanked the judge, the jury, the gardaí, her GP and various counsellors and health care workers who helped her over the years.

Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo thanked both women for giving their evidence and wished them well. He said he hopes they are assisted by the fact that the case has reached its conclusion.

He said the evidence from the women and their victim impact statements make it “very clear” that the abuse had “a very real and enduring impact” on both of them.

In relation to Kavanagh’s ex-wife, Mr Justice Naidoo said the offence involved controlling behaviour, violence, degradation and was a breach of trust.

He said Kavanagh’s abuse of his wife's sister was “an escalating campaign of grooming” and was also degrading.

Mr Justice Naidoo said Kavanagh has a “very high degree of moral culpability” in the case and added the abuse was conducted during “virtually the entirety of her childhood”.

He said it had a devastating impact on her and continues to have a “profound ongoing impact” and made it very difficult for her to “live a happy and fulfilling life”.

The judge noted that Kavanagh does not accept the jury’s verdict and as such, he has lost the most important mitigating feature of an acceptance of guilt.

He accepted that Kavanagh will live the rest of his life in prison but said he had lived most of his

life without taking responsibility for the hurt he caused.

Mr Justice Naidoo imposed a sentence of seven years in relation to the offences against Kavanagh’s former wife and a consecutive term of 12 years and six months for the offences against her sister.

He said as it was a consecutive term, he would reduce the global sentence by two years before he imposed a sentence 17 years and six months. The final 12 months of that term was then suspended.

Colman Cody SC, defending, said his client does not accept the verdicts of the jury but understands that the court needs to sentence him following the convictions.

A number of affidavits were handed into the court, including one from a different former partner who outlined how he is a good father to their children together.

Mr Cody asked the court to take into account that Kavanagh has no prior relevant convictions and spoke of how he has suffered from depression.

Counsel said Kavanagh is originally from Wexford and has four children. He has worked as a musician in various venues in Ireland, Germany and Tenerife.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.