A former member of the Slovakian police force who raped a female relative in his Sligo home last year has been jailed for eight years.
Ladislav Pavlak (36), a divorced father, with an address at Ougham, Riverstown, Co Sligo, was convicted by a jury earlier this month of raping the woman, then 20, on August 14th, 2006.
Pavlak was found guilty by a 10-2 majority on the rape charge and by 11-1 majority of sexually assaulting her on the same occasion.
He had denied the charges, claiming they had consensual sex the previous week when the victim also stayed over by arrangement following a party at his home.
In the Central Criminal Court today, Mr Justice Eamon de Valera said he had searched for reasons to impose as lenient as possible a sentence on Pavlak but that there had been a serious breach of trust in that the victim had been placed in Pavlak's care on that night by her family.
He was also the father of two daughters and, as a former police force member, he should have known better, the judge said.
The sentence dates from August 15th, 2006, when Pavlak was taken into custody. Leave to appeal conviction and sentence was refused. Pavlak's name has also been entered on the register of certified sex offenders.