The primary schoolteacher of a woman who claimed she was pregnant as an 11-year-old student in her class has told an inquest she believes the woman was sexually abused and said she feels "very guilty" that she never realised.
Rosemary Warren, who taught Cynthia Owen at Loreto Dalkey primary school in south Dublin in 1973, said she believed the abuse detailed in evidence by Ms Owen but questioned whether she was pregnant in her class.
"There was a baby. I think there was abuse . . . I think something horrific happened to her."
Ms Warren continued that she thought it was "improbable" that Ms Owen was pregnant in her class because she would have noticed.
Under questioning from Michael Forde SC, for Ms Owen, Ms Warren agreed that she had no recollection of Ms Owen in her class until she was shown a photograph.
Ms Owen has claimed that she gave birth to the infant at the family home in Dalkey and a woman then stabbed the infant to death using knitting needles. Three of Ms Owen's classmates at age 11 told the inquest yesterday that they noticed her stomach become "swollen" and in hindsight they believed she was pregnant at the time.
Maria O'Gorman said her friend had told her at a young age that she had "had sex" with her brother Peter but it "was alright because she was adopted". She also said that her friend made reference to satanic abuse at age 11, but she did not understand what she was being told because of her young age.
The inquest heard on Tuesday that Ms Owen detailed satanic abuse and a paedophile ring in later years to a psychologist. Ms O'Gorman said her friend began to put on weight in fifth class and then missed a couple of weeks of school.
"Looking back as an adult, I'd be 90 to 100 per cent sure she was pregnant," said Ms O'Gorman.
Another classmate, Bernice Farrell, told the inquest that she noticed Ms Owen's "swollen tummy" and said an absence from school followed this.
"She had a bag shielding her tummy and was embarrassed . . . I believe she was pregnant." The inquest heard that Ms Farrell had had no contact with Ms Owen since fifth class and came forward with information following a Garda appeal.
Maria Kelly-Whelan, another classmate and neighbour of Ms Owen, said that she put on a lot of weight at age 11 and her "mother wouldn't allow her to take off her jacket".
She also told the court: "She said Mr Sandyman visited her in bed." Ms Kelly-Whelan said that Ms Owen and herself used to regularly collect Sandeman's port from her father after work to take home to her mother.
She added that the nuns at Loreto primary school ran a "harsh regime" and were particularly cruel to Ms Owen and her sisters by implying they were sexually active.