Crèche worker 'devastated' after sexual assault allegations made against him, trial hears
A man accused of sexually assaulting four girls in a Leinster crèche told a colleague he was “devastated” after the allegations were made against him, his trial has heard.
The 29-year-old man cried in court today when his former colleague gave evidence saying he looked “very upset” and had become “very skinny” in the years since she last saw him.
The woman also cried as she told the the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial that the man was generous with the children and came up with activities that other staff members didn't think of doing.
“We all had great fun,” she said through her tears.
The woman worked closely with the man and had been friendly with him but has not been in contact with him since he was charged, the court heard.
She said she last contacted him shortly after the allegations emerged, when she sent him a text saying she hoped he was okay. “I'm devastated,” he replied, the court heard.
The man is accused of 23 counts of sexually assaulting four girls at a crèche on dates between February 2015 and December 2016, when they were aged between five and eight years old. The offences are alleged to have taken place in various locations within the crèche and on the crèche bus.
He denies the charges. No parties in the case can be named to protect the identity of the complainants.
The woman told Sean Guerin SC, defending, that she worked in the room next door to the man's after school room, that the door was open all day and that she and the man tended to sit close to each other's doors.
She said she “never” had any suspicions about the man. She said the four complainants “wouldn't have much interaction with him”, particularly the younger two complainants as they would spend very little time under his care.
The woman told the court that from her room, she was able to see the book corner in the man's room.
Under further questioning from Orla Crowe SC, prosecuting, the woman agreed that she could not see all of the book corner and that a section of it was not visible to her. Some of the offences are alleged to have taken place in the book corner.
She said she didn't think the crèche was an easy place for the man to work as it could be quite “sexist”. She said he would be asked to do things like fix a broken light, even though he had no electrical experience.
She said he didn't feel comfortable changing the nappies of the younger children who were occasionally under his care, and the court heard there was an “unspoken arrangement” that he didn't do nappy changes.
Four other former colleagues of the man gave evidence today. Most of them recalled being shocked and surprised upon learning of the allegations.
'Gentleman'
One supervisor in the crèche said she always found the man to be a “gentleman”, and that the children and parents were all “very fond of him”.
Another supervisor told the defence that she once overheard the man telling the crèche manager he wasn't comfortable doing the crèche bus runs on his own.
One woman said the man was “brilliant” with the kids, while another former colleague said the after-school group had a “good relationship” with him.
The trial continues on Monday before Judge Elma Sheahan and a jury of seven men and five women.
