The woman victim at the centre of a rape trial which ultimately led to the resignation in 2002 of then Government Minister and Progressive Democrats founder Bobby Molloy has settled an action for damages against the Health Services Executive in the High Court.
Student Barbara Naughton (27), who lives in Dublin, had sued HSE West, in its capacity of responsibility for University College Hospital, Galway, over its alleged failure to protect her from being attacked by her father Patrick Naughton when she was a patient at the hospital almost ten years ago.
Ms Naughton had brought an action alleging negligence by the hospital, which treated her after she first revealed she was being abused by her father in 1997.
She claimed that adequate precautions had not been taken to protect her. The claims were denied. The case was listed for hearing before Mr Justice Brian McGovern in the High Court today.
However, after two hours of talks between both sides, Mr Peter Finlay SC, for Ms Naughton, said the matter could be struck out. No details were given to the court. After a seven day trial in April 2002 Patrick Naughton (51), of Cinn Mhara, Camus, Co Galway, was sentenced to 11 years in prison for raping and abusing his daughter over a ten-year period.
He was convicted on 18 sample charges of raping and buggering his daughter over a period of six years, from 1987 when she was nine years old. It was also ordered that his name be put on the register of sex offenders and that he remain under supervision for 12 years after his release.
Naughton has appealed to the Court of Criminal Appeal. During the trial, a Garda told the court that Naughton first raped his daughter in the family home on a Sunday morning when the rest of the family was at mass and she was nine years old.
He then told her the facts of life. The abuse continued until the girl was 15 years old. She made a formal complaint in September 1997. The case attracted national headlines in 2002 when it emerged that someone representing Mr Bobby Molloy had tried to communicate with the judge in the case, Mr Justice Philip O'Sullivan.
It emerged that some-one representing Mr Molloy had been in touch with the judge, seeking to phone him at home, in order to clarify whether he had received a number of letters from Naughton's sister, Anne.
When passing sentence, Mr Justice O'Sullivan said it had been "quite improper that any such approach" should have been made.
The Galway West TD resigned the following day. Mr Molloy, who had been a TD for 37 years, said there was nothing sininster or dishonest in his actions. He resigned because a "human error of judgement" on his part might have given the public the impression "that I had secretly tried to influence a judge", he said.