Jail for man who raped his foster daughter while brave victim delivers powerful impact statement

A man who raped his foster daughter after plying her with alcohol has received a 12-year prison sentence. 
Richard Moloney (41) of Tullaskeagh Drive, Roscrea, was found guilty by a jury of one count of rape, one count of oral rape and one count of sexually assaulting his then 16-year-old foster daughter at their Tipperary home on July 16th, 2016. 
The conviction followed a trial at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin last July. 
At a sentence hearing last October the victim Ciara Monaghan turned to face Moloney and told him: “Today I stand in front of you a survivor”. The court heard she wished to waive her anonymity so Moloney can be identified. 
Sentencing Moloney last Wednesday week (November 13th), Mr Justice Alex Owens said he had abused whatever trust the fostering agency had placed in him. He said he had shown no remorse and there was no point in suspending any portion of the sentence when he continues to deny his offending. 
He said Moloney lied on oath during the trial and alleged the victim had sexually assaulted him. He said this was a badge of very bad character. 
He described the effect of the crimes on the victim as “very destructive” and said she has suffered enormously. 
The victim and supporters embraced and smiled when the sentence was passed. Outside of the courthouse Ms Monaghan said she was pleased with the sentence. 
The court heard the teenager was home alone for the weekend with her foster father when he plied both 
her and her friend with vodka and beer. 
When the friend got sick and went to bed, the man attacked the teenager, kissing her and forcing her to give him oral sex before taking her into his bedroom and raping her. 
During the attack she was distressed and tried to call out, but he put his hand over her mouth, a garda detective told Conor Devally SC, prosecuting. 
Afterwards, the girl told her friend what had happened and the pair left the house in the early hours of the morning. 
When interviewed by gardaí, the man “painted a picture of her being brazen and highly sexualised”, Mr Devally said. The man told gardaí he woke up at one point and found her on top of him and told her: “Go back to bed you little bitch.” 
He has 10 previous convictions for assaults and public order offences. 
Ms Monaghan, now aged 19, outlined how she had made multiple suicide attempts since she was raped, suffered from anxiety and PTSD and was hospitalised for some time. She was a promising young student who hoped to study psychiatry but was unable to sit her Leaving Cert after the attack, she said. 
“My world was turned upside down when I was raped and sexually assaulted in my own home behind closed doors,” she told the court.
 She said she struggled with constant thoughts of the man and what he did to her. “You were there when I tied the noose around the tree. 
“You were there when I put it around my neck. You were there when I jumped.” 
Justice Owens imposed a post release supervision period of four years and ordered Moloney to stay away from the victim and to engage in an alcohol addiction programme.