'15 YEARS OF ABUSE'.Byline: by IAN GRAHAM Ian Graham (born January 5, 1943) is a former Australian rules footballer who played with Collingwood in the VFL during the 1960's. His best season came in 1964 when he won the Copeland Trophy for Collingwood's Best and Fairest player. ONE of seven alleged child abuse victims was too scared to fight back even when he was a teenager, a court heard yesterday. He told the trial of a Co Armagh couple accused of a catalogue of ill-treatment and abuse stretching back over 15 years: "I would get a slap, a punch or get kicked." He added that sometimes he was struck with a belt and a rubber-covered cattle prod cattle prod n. A usually electrified prod designed for driving cattle. was used "regularly". When the judge asked him if he ever fought back as he got older the witness replied: "I was too afraid." The man and woman, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the youngsters, showed no emotion as they sat in the dock at Antrim Crown Court sitting in Coleraine. It was claimed one of the alleged victims of the abuse shot himself in 2003 after he and the other alleged victims were relentlessly beaten. The jury listened intently as the alleged latest abuse victim said he would be beaten sometimes three or four times a week. He added when he was younger the children would be lined up in the living room with their trousers around their ankles for punishment to be meted out Adj. 1. meted out - given out in portions apportioned, dealt out, doled out, parceled out distributed - spread out or scattered about or divided up . Asked who was punished most, he replied: "Whoever had been bad during the day." Asked if he suffered bruising bruising discoloration and actual hemorrhage at the site of injury, and a serious disadvantage in the meat trade. In the first 12 hours after injury the bruise is bright red, at 24 hours it is dark red, at 24 to 36 hours it loses its firm consistency and becomes watery and at 3 or , the witness said: "Sometimes. It would depend on how hard I was hit." He revealed that after the alleged victim's death he had undergone psychiatric treatment for depression. Under cross-examination by a defence lawyer for the accused woman, the court heard the witness had withdrawn two earlier allegations of abuse during an interview with social workers. Asked if he was lying now, he denied it, adding: "I know myself what happened." Asked why he had withdrawn the previous allegations, he said it was because the accused woman had been at the interview. But the court was told the social worker's records showed the witness had been alone at the interview. The case was adjourned until today. |
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