George Gibney sentenced to 15.5 years for sexual abuse

George Gibney has been sentenced to 15 and a half years in prison for the sexual abuse of four girls between 1974 and 1981. The sentencing follows decades of allegations and legal maneuvers that allowed the former Olympic swimming coach to evade justice for much of his career.

The judge described Gibney, now 78, as a “manipulative predator” who exploited his position as a prominent swimming coach to assault children in his care. While this specific case focused on the abuse of four victims, allegations against Gibney date back to the 1960s. During the 1980s and 1990s, Gibney was a well-known public figure in Ireland, serving as a national swimming coach and a media pundit.

In the 1990s, Gibney successfully obtained an injunction to prevent prosecution for 27 sexual offences before fleeing the country. The recent conviction brings a conclusion to a long-running pursuit of justice for survivors and their advocates.