The granddaughter of the Late former Cork Lord Mayor John Murray has spoken for the first time about the sexual abuse she suffered as a child by her grandfather.
Mr Murray was convicted and jailed for the sexual abuse of his granddaughter in 2013 and served nine months in prison.
Speaking for the first time on The Neil Prendeville Show on RedFM about the abuse publicly, Elaine Murray has said she felt compelled to come forward after Cork city council passed a vote of condolence following the death of Mr Murray on Saturday night.
Mr Murray’s funeral is taking place today.
“Three years have past (since the court case), I have gotten a lot of help and a lot of support since then that I can talk about this now.
“The reason that I called this morning was to let the people of Cork know that I am his grandaughter.
“And there is a lot of talk about a family grieving this morning and there are members of the Murray family grieving this morning but there has been such a divide in our family that for other members this is a relief to us that that man is gone.”
“I am just so disappointed that it is back in the media again, for all the wrong reasons, I am just so upset that it was even mentioned in city council the other night.
“It shouldn’t have been a topic. I shouldn’t have had to speak to you today and I just wanted to let people know that while there are some members of the family grieving today there are also some members who are certainly not grieving today.”
Elaine, who is now 33, said of Mr Murray’s five children, her father and her aunt have stood by her.
“My family and my aunt’s family we are most certainly not grieving.”
Speaking about the abuse Elaine said it occured numerous times over a two-year period, beginning when she was just 13-years-old.
While she was never threatened to stay quiet, but felt she would not have been believed.
Eventually Elaine said she realised it was something she couldn’t carry anymore.
“I told my parents and a family meeting was called.”
At the meeting Elaine said Mr Murray admitted certain aspects of the abuse, but later retracted his words saying he had been in fear of his life.
Describing the effect the trial had on her and her family Elaine said: “It was all over the media, it was national news, it was very hard. I still had to go to work”
Elaine said it was difficult for her partner and her sisters and her parents were devastated.
“My father, was the only boy in the family and for this to have happened to his daughter by a man he was supposed to be able to trust…”
Asked by Neil if she had been happy with a sentence of four years with three suspended, Elaine said at the time she was; “These cases are so hard to prove, there is a 5% conviction rate.”
Although the case has split her family in half, Elaine said she did not regret taking the case and wouldn’t discourage people from coming forward: “Be strong and seek help.”
