Child rape survivor Fiona Doyle told her abusive father she “needed to see his coffin in the ground” for closure before his death. 

Convicted child rapist Patrick O’Brien died last week in a nursing home at the age of 83. 

He was found guilty of abusing his daughter, Fiona Doyle, in January 2013 and was sentenced to 12 years in prison – but he was moved to a nursing home later due to illness. 

Ms Doyle told Lunchtime Live she feels like she now has closure. 

“It surprised me how I feel, how free I feel,” she said. 

“I never have to have worries about him again, it’s just done and dusted. 

“I expected to be a little upset because at the end of the day he was still my dad... but actually, found myself feeling quite lucky.” 

“I knew what I needed to do to move on – a lot of abuse survivors wouldn’t be able to work it out or know that.” 

'I need to see you go back to the dirt that you came from'

Ms Doyle spoke with her father twice in the months preceding his death, which she feels gave her the closure she needed to accept his death now. 

“I told this to my father twice when I confronted him – that I needed to see his coffin go into ground,” she said. 

“My exact words to him were I need to see you go back to the dirt that you came from. 

“That this was something I needed to protect and needed to get out.

While Ms Doyle knows her father never thought he really raped her, despite pleading guilty, speaking to him gave her the answers she needed. 

“I took it as an apology, but I don’t think in his head it was a sincere apology because he does not believe he raped me,” she said. 

“He told me ‘I know I put you through hell’... Just hearing him say that made a difference.” 

'I want them to know how they’re feeling is okay'

Ms Doyle made the decision to be named publicly during the trial and she hopes her activism lets other victims feel like they’re not alone. 

“A lot of people contacted me and told me they're following my case and in the same situation,” she said. 

“They feel guilty because they haven't been able to do it or that they're sending their dads to prison. 

“I want them to know how they’re feeling is okay and to worry you're locking your dad up is okay and that’s allowed. 

“They're allowed to be upset when they die or go to their funeral or anything like that – it's all okay.”

Anyone affected by the issues raised in the survey can contact the following helplines:

National Sexual Violence Helpline (for men and women) - 1800 778 888 or rapecrisishelp.ie

National Domestic Violence Helpline (for women) - 1800 341 900

Male Advice Line (for men experiencing domestic abuse) - 1800 816 588