A JURY has found that an Enniskillen man sexually abused two of his sisters-in-law more than 50 years ago.
David Francis Collins, of Kilmacormick Road, Enniskillen was deemed unfit to stand trial on ten counts of abuse including indecent assault, gross indecency and attempted rape.
However, a trial of facts at Dungannon Crown Court, sitting in Newry, found the 80-year-old had subjected the women to a catalogue of sexual abuse when they were young children.
After agreeing to use only their first names, Maud, one of the sisters, told the Herald of the abuse she and her sister Joyce suffered at the hands of their brother-in-law. Both became alcoholics in later life due to the abuse.
“I lived a tortured life for years with this secret and what he did to us. To be with him at family functions would make my skin crawl just being there,” Maud said.
“It was horrendous and we both ended up being two alcoholics because of him. Nobody knew why I was drinking so much but it was because of having to keep all this secret for so long.
“The sad thing was we both felt shame as if we had done something wrong, so when the jury found that he did abuse us I wanted to jump for joy.”
Maud was ten or 11 years old when the abuse took place, while her sister Joyce was five or six years old. All of the charges against the former painter and decorator date from March 1968 to April 1974.
After hearing all the evidence, the jury came to the conclusion that Collins had committed three acts of indecent assault on Joyce and two acts of gross indecency, while he had also committed one count of indecent assault and one count of gross indecency against Maud.
They acquitted him of two further counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape against Maud. He will be sentenced at a later date but has to automatically sign the sex offenders’ register.
Both women took to the witness box to give evidence about what they said Collins had done to them.
“It was hard being in the witness box and it took a lot out of me to go over it all again. It was humiliating,” Maud said.
“What he did shattered our lives and I know some in the family think we made the whole thing up. But a jury listened to our story and believed it. We’re delighted with the outcome.
“If I can save one child from going through this, or prevent one woman from suffering in silence for years after this kind of sexual abuse has taken place, then that is all I want.”
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