A 50-year-old taxi driver, Raymond Shorten, from Melrose Crescent, Clondalkin, Dublin, will be sentenced later this month for raping a young girl and two women.
Shorten will be sentenced on July 19th for the rape of a girl aged seven or eight and on July 22nd for the rape of two women in his taxi two years ago.
During a session at the Central Criminal Court on Monday, Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo heard a victim impact statement from a young woman who was raped by Shorten over a decade ago. The court learned that the first rape occurred just days after the girl’s mother’s funeral when Shorten, then 37 or 38, assaulted her in a bathroom. The second incident happened in a family member’s bedroom, and a third offence, a sexual assault, occurred in his vehicle.
The investigation began in late 2020 after the girl left a handwritten note on her grandmother’s pillow detailing the abuse. Shorten, who denied the charges, was convicted in May of two counts of vaginal rape and one count of sexual assault.
In her statement, the victim described being a content but shy child who turned to art to cope. She recounted the terror of the first rape and the confusion she felt, thinking it might be expected because an adult was doing it. The abuse led to severe emotional and behavioural issues, including substance abuse, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts. She expressed relief at Shorten’s conviction but noted ongoing fears and trauma.
Prosecutor Geraldine Small SC argued that the offences warranted a headline sentence of 10 to 15 years, highlighting the girl’s young age, Shorten’s position of trust, and the timing of the abuse.
Defence attorney Lorcan Staines SC pointed to Shorten’s family responsibilities and work history, but Mr Justice Naidoo stated that prison behaviour is not typically a mitigating factor in such cases.
In addition to the charges involving the young girl, Shorten is also awaiting sentencing for raping two women in his taxi in the summer of 2022.
He was found guilty last month of two counts of rape and one count of anal rape. According to the prosecution, both women were attacked after nights out in Dublin city centre when they got into Shorten’s taxi.
One victim, who was 20 at the time, described ongoing anxiety and trust issues following the rape. The other woman, who was 19 and a virgin at the time, called the experience a nightmare and expressed shock that Shorten had attacked her and another woman.
After hearing the victim impact statements and other evidence, Mr Justice Paul McDermott will impose the sentences on July 22nd. Prosecutors have requested a headline sentence of 10 to 15 years for the offences against both women.
