The most shocking thing about this case for IRELAND (apart from the 'incest', which is horribly shocking in itself) is that the MANY authorities the family came in contact with were unable (eg, by an Irish High Court Order in 2000) and incapable of helping these kids (six in total) until 2004.

It was in 2004 that the male child in question had the guts to talk about the 'incest' to a foster parent.

The mother came to the attention of the authorities from the time she was pregnant with her first child - in 1989!

It's not clearly reported but this means that she, very possibly within her own family, was already being monitored in some capacity - ie, they were 'concerned' about her family background and about her being pregnant.

From then on, the news simply get seriously and tragically worse.

In around 1999, social workers managed to get an agreement between the mother and an aunt and uncle that aunt & uncle would take and look after the 6 kids, legally.

It appears (but the details are not clear yet) that the mother had support (possibly financial) from a very conservative Irish Catholic organisation that helped prevent this - hence the High Court action which returned her children to her and their vile, filthy home in 2000.

That teachers, neighbours etc, DID NOT report something about what was very clearly happening to the kids (they were thin, filthy, lice infested, etc); that the people the mother drank with outside the home (she was a serious alcoholic) an on almost daily basis DID NOT say something; AND - especially - that the authorities were either (by draconian Irish laws, etc) NOT ABLE to do something to protect and care for the children properly is so shocking.

The reason the mother was charged with 'incest' and was only sentenced to SEVEN years is that an over 100-year old Irish law, on the statue, gives this as the maximum term for that crime, for a woman. If a man had conducted these crimes in Ireland he would be, rightly, eligible for a life sentencing.

Ireland needs to get its head out of its arse about abuse, crimes towards children and who commits these.

The Irish Constitution protect the family as a foremost centre of society, and therefore, the rights of a parent - above the rights of a child.

Irish governments have been promising a referendum vote on children's rights for over a decade. Irish law and the constitution is seriously lacking in protecting children - in their own homes!

These kids have been abused not only by their mother but by their country.

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And, hopefully, ALL of her children are getting help. A sexual predator is likely to have other victims out there-- her other kids may not have escaped assault.

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A child should be allowed to be a child for as long as possible. To steal that from someone is despicable.

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This is also a failure on the part of social services, obviously. Christ, these poor kids.

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A man must have an erection in order to have vaginal intercourse, right? When Jezebel posted the commentary about the new visibility of older women abusing boys, one of the comments in the original article pointed to that fundamental difference: a woman does not have to be aroused to have sex; A man does.

I'm not saying this diminishes the obvious abuse going on. But it seriously confuses me.

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