AN Ardara man has been jailed for eight years this week for raping and coercively controlling his wife.
Sergio Correia (48), with an address on Front Street, Ardara, was found guilty by a jury earlier this year.
His former wife, Kathleen Correia waived her right to anonymity, saying people should not be afraid to speak out if something bad happens behind closed doors.
The jury heard that Kathleen Correia met her husband in Portugal in 2006.
They married in 2012.
Judge Melanie Greally said they encountered some challenges in their marriage early on and Sergio Correia’s expectations in relation to the frequency of sexual intercourse was an issue, RTE reported this week.
In 2018, they moved to Portugal, but the family subsequently moved back to Ireland.
Ms Correia told the court she had wanted a loving partner and to share their lives together, raising their children and working through the ups and downs of family life together.
Instead of that, she said her husband coerced, controlled, abused and raped her.
She said no matter how many times she said “no”, her husband’s control and demand for sex took over their marriage.
She said he had no regard for her feelings or how she was impacted.
She described how her husband “crushed her soul and broke her as a person”.
Ms Correia said the ripple effects of his actions had caused so much pain and devastation and continued to do so.
She told of describing to the couple’s older children what was going on involved “the hardest conversations” she has ever had in her life.
And she said it was “agony” during the trial, having to relive the horrendous details of the rapes and abuse in a roomful of strangers.
Judge Greally said she was taking into account the profoundly harmful effects of Correia’s actions on his wife and young family.
She said he showed little insight into his behaviour or its harmful effects, and a report showed he had a high level of self pity.
A probation report said he could continue his offending behaviour in future relationships if he did not address his behaviour.
She said there was an immense breach of trust involved in the offending and she took into account the degrading and humiliating nature of the conduct involved.
In relation to the coercive control, she said it went on for nine months and involved anger fuelled emotional and psychological abuse.
In mitigation, the judge said Correia co operated with gardaí, he had no previous convictions and there was some evidence of remorse.
The court heard that Correia wrote a letter to his wife in which he said he sincerely apologised for his wrong doing during the last years of their marriage.
He said he understood Ms Correia may never forgive him. He said he had failed as a husband and father and the impact of his past decisions weighed heavily on his whole family.
The court heard Correia had been treated for a type of cancer and had also made a suicide attempt.
Judge Greally sentenced him to nine and a half years in prison but suspended the final year and a half on condition that he comply with probation directions and that he take part in treatment programmes for domestic and sexual violence and addiction.
The judge told Ms Correia she wished her the best for the future.
Outside court, Ms Correia described the day as one of “mixed emotions”.
She spoke of feeling relief but mainly a “huge sense of sadness” about what had happened and its impact on her and her children.
Ms Correia said the years spent silent and concealing the truth, had brought feelings of isolation, shame and guilt, and she said if she remained anonymous she would continue to carry those feelings.
Ms Correia urged people to speak out. She said the saying “what happens behind closed doors, should stay behind closed doors” was wrong and damaging for victims and people should not be afraid to speak out.
She said there should be no stigma or shame for those who had experienced rape, sexual violence or domestic violence.
She said she wanted other women to know it was not acceptable to live in an abusive relationship or marriage.
“After years of darkness and isolation, my hope is the truth will set me free,” she said.
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