A 55-year-old Dublin woman is in the High Court suing a former choir master who she claims repeatedly raped her as a child making her pregnant at the age of 15.

Jacqueline O"Toole of Pearse House is looking for damages against Joseph Carrick of Carysfort Woods in Blackrock who has decided not to defend the action

Miss O"Toole was in tears for much of her evidence as she gave graphic details of being raped and sexually abused by choirmaster Mr. Carrick between the ages of 13 and 15.

Pregnant by abuser

She said it began in 1970 when he offered her a lift home from mass but first stopped off at his offices at Eden Quay where he took her upstairs, locked the door and raped her.

She said it ended when at 15 she became pregnant by her abuser who laughed when she told him.

She kept her pregnancy secret from her family and in 1973 gave birth to a baby girl she called "Edel" who she got to hold once before giving her up for adoption.

The 55-year-old mother is now suing Joseph Carrick for damages with psychiatric evidence before a jury that she has suffered post traumatic stress disorder and felt ashamed of the abuse like it was a dirty secret.