Conviction of Former Irish Swimming Coach
George Gibney, a former Irish national swimming coach, has been convicted of sexually abusing four young female athletes and attempting to rape one of them during the 1970s and 1980s.
The jury, after deliberating for over seven hours, returned its verdict on Monday afternoon regarding the 77-year-old Gibney.
Initially charged with 79 counts, Gibney pleaded guilty to five counts at the start of the trial held at the Central Criminal Court.
According to Irish national broadcaster RTÉ, Gibney pleaded not guilty to 73 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape involving four girls during the 1970s and 1980s.
The jury found him guilty of 39 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape.
Jurors were instructed to return not guilty verdicts on 33 counts related to two of the complainants.
The judge ordered that Gibney be remanded in custody, with sentencing scheduled for 29 July.
RTÉ reported that following the verdicts, the women embraced their friends, supporters, and gardaí.
Extradition Details
Gibney was extradited from the United States of America to the Republic of Ireland last year to face historical sexual abuse charges.
The Irish government requested his return to face 78 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape involving four girls aged between eight and 14 at the time of the alleged offenses.
Prior to his extradition, Gibney had not returned to Ireland for over 30 years.
He was arrested in Florida by US Marshals in July 2025.
It was previously reported that gardaí reopened an investigation into Gibney after multiple allegations were made against him on the BBC podcast Where is George Gibney? six years ago.
The criminal investigation began in 2020, conducted by a specialist team within the Garda National Protective Services Bureau.
A file was submitted to the Director for Public Prosecutions (DPP) three years later.
The DPP reviewed the file and recommended that Gibney be charged.
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