DUBLIN, Ireland - A father and mother who sexually molested their children and permitted them to be raped and abused by others at their home in Munster, in Ireland, have been sentenced to 15 and nine years in prison, respectively.

The sentences were handed down this week at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

The sentencing follows the conviction of five individuals from the same family for committing various sexual offenses against very young children, including anal rape, oral rape, and sexual exploitation, when they were all under the age of nine.

Mr. Justice Paul McDermott stated that it could not be disregarded that social services were involved and attempting to assist the family while the "worst type of sexual abuse" was taking place.

He said that the abuse was successfully concealed from social services and that the parents fooled social workers.

Although the parents were judged to have borderline or mild intellectual deficiencies, the court stated that he had no doubt they knew what they were doing was illegal and exhibited no signs of regret or remorse.

The 57-year-old father was sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of all 31 charges leveled against him.

Raping his three elder children, sexual assault, sexual exploitation, intentional neglect, and child abuse were among them.

The mother, 34, was sentenced to nine years in prison. She was convicted of all 25 charges leveled against her, including sexual assault, sexual exploitation, and intentional abandonment of her children.

The judge stated she bore a high level of responsibility for her children's continuous neglect and allowed the abuse to continue under her own roof.

The children's 49-year-old uncle was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was found guilty on all ten counts, including rape, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation of his three eldest children.

The judge called his actions "depraved and humiliating for the youngsters," adding that it was an exploitation of the most appalling type.

The children's aunt, 35, was sentenced to three years in prison for her role in the abuse, including three counts of sexually assaulting two of the children.

The children's 27-year-old uncle was sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was convicted of eight of the nine crimes against him regarding two of the children, including rape, sexual assault, and sexual exploitation.

(File photo).