19-year-old youth pleads not guilty to rape in Donegal

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A 19-year-old youth pleaded not guilty to rape and oral rape at the Central Criminal Court. The proceedings were reported on 11 July 2018.

The alleged offences concerned a then 16-year-old girl behind a building in a Donegal town in the early hours of 18 March 2016.

Investigating Garda Paul Leape told the trial about an inconsistency between CCTV footage and the complainant’s account. Under defence cross-examination, he agreed that the footage did not necessarily support evidence from the girl and her friends that she had been upset after the alleged events. He clarified that the footage was a one-dimensional view and that, although she did not appear upset to him, that did not mean she was not upset inside. He said other witnesses he spoke to that night had said she was upset.

His report to the DPP was based on statements, CCTV footage, forensic evidence and other material. The trial was continuing before Ms Justice Deirdre Murphy and a jury, with the State’s closing speech due next.