A former sports coach is on trial in Ireland accused of sexually abusing four girls during the 1970s and 1980s. The defendant, aged 77 to 79, cannot be named for legal reasons. Court proceedings describe alleged abuse that prosecutors say involved an abuse of the position of authority he held as a coach and the girls’ trust in him.
The charges span multiple counts. One set of reports says he faces 74 counts of sexual offences, while another reports 78 indecent assaults and one attempted rape. The allegations relate to offences committed when the complainants were children.
One outlet reports that the man has pleaded guilty to five charges of indecent assault but denies a further 73 charges and one count of attempted rape. Other reporting indicates he is contesting most of the allegations.
The trial is underway, with the prosecution presenting the case as a pattern of abuse over a period spanning the 1970s and 1980s, and the defence disputing the majority of counts while acknowledging the pleaded guilty charges.
