Man Jailed 9 Years for Sexual Assault of Cousins

Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Sexual Abuse of Young Cousins

A Dublin man has been jailed for nine years after pleading guilty to the repeated sexual assault of his two young cousins. The sentencing concludes a long and emotionally taxing legal process for the victims, who first reported the abuse decades after the crimes occurred.

Details of the Abuse

The court heard that 55-year-old Edward McGregor, of Weavers Square, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, groomed and sexually assaulted two girls between 1986 and 1993. At the time of the abuse, the victims—sisters Frances McGregor and Caitriona Carr—were between six and 13 years old. McGregor was between 15 and 22 years old during the period of the attacks.

The assaults took place across two primary locations in Dublin:

• The victims’ family home on Donard Avenue and Blackhorse Avenue in Dublin 7.
• McGregor’s former family home in Ballymun.

While the abuse began when McGregor was a teenager, Judge Eileen Creedon noted that the most serious offenses were committed after he turned 18.

A Prolonged Path to Justice

The road to conviction was marked by significant delays and legal hurdles. Although the women reported the abuse in 2019, McGregor initially denied all allegations. The legal process faced multiple interruptions:

• 2024: A scheduled trial did not proceed because McGregor was hospitalized with diabetes.
• May 2025: McGregor failed to appear for a second trial date; the court was later informed he had been hospitalized following an incident of self-harm.

McGregor eventually pleaded guilty to 15 offenses in November 2025, just as his trial was set to begin for a third time. According to RTÉ, this guilty plea led to his nine-year prison sentence.

Victim Impact and Reaction

Following the sentencing, Frances McGregor expressed relief that the court finally recognized the truth. However, she spoke candidly about the “enormous stress and emotional strain” caused by the repeated delays and the drawn-out nature of the proceedings.

Ms. McGregor stated that she felt “deeply frustrated” by the process, suggesting that the legal delays made it seem as though McGregor was being portrayed as a victim more than the women who had lived with the consequences of his actions for decades. She emphasized that no family should be retraumatized by the court process or forced to wait so long for justice.

Key Case Summary

This case highlights the ongoing challenges survivors of childhood abuse face when seeking legal redress, particularly regarding the psychological impact of trial delays and the complexities of prosecuting historical offenses.