Former Irish national coach George Gibney convicted of historic sexual offences

Former Irish coach George Gibney convicted of historic sexual offences; legal closure for victims and renewed focus on safeguarding in sport.

Former Irish national coach George Gibney convicted of historic sexual offences
Liberal TR Haber Merkezi
Publish: 06.07.2026
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A jury in Dublin found 77-year-old former Irish national swimming coach George Gibney guilty of multiple historic sexual offences, the court announced on Monday after more than seven hours of deliberation; the verdicts follow charges relating to incidents in the 1970s and 1980s and will lead to his sentencing on 29 July.

The jury returned guilty verdicts on 39 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape, while directed to return not guilty verdicts on 33 counts connected to two complainants. At the start of the trial Gibney had pleaded guilty to five counts and not guilty to 73 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape, according to RTÉ.

Gibney was remanded in custody by the judge following the verdicts. He was extradited from the United States to the Republic of Ireland last year to face the historical charges, the authorities said.

Irish state broadcaster RTÉ reported that the alleged offences involved four girls aged between eight and 14 at the time. The prosecutions relate to incidents said to have occurred in the 1970s and 1980s.

Gibney had not been in Ireland for more than 30 years before his arrest. He was taken into custody in Florida by US Marshals in July 2025 and later returned to Ireland to face the charges.

The case followed renewed attention after allegations were raised on the BBC podcast Where is George Gibney?, which led gardaí to reopen an investigation. A specialist team within the Garda National Protective Services Bureau commenced a criminal investigation in 2020 and submitted a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions in 2023.

The DPP reviewed the file and recommended charges, resulting in the prosecution that concluded with Monday’s verdicts. RTÉ reported that after the verdicts the complainants embraced friends, supporters and members of gardaí in the courtroom.

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Liberal TR Haber Merkezi
Liberal TR Haber Merkezi
A digital news platform delivering developments in Türkiye and the world to its readers with an objective and principled perspective. Liberal TR Haber Merkezi.
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