Courts / Ireland / Report

DPP not seeking jail term for autistic boy who raped 13-year-old

Summary

The Central Criminal Court heard that a 17‑year‑old autistic boy, who had raped a 13‑year‑old and sexually assaulted another 13‑year‑old on two separate occasions, was not being sought for a jail term by the Director of Public Prosecutions. The judge considered a deferred sentence, a rare form where a jail term is imposed but postponed, and indicated that if treatment and support programmes were put in place he might suspend part or all of the sentence. The boy, who was 16 at the time of the offences, pleaded not guilty to three counts of anal rape and was convicted on one count of rape and two lesser counts of sexual assault. He had claimed the incidents were consensual and called them an "experiment gone wrong." The court noted the victims were still in counselling and that the abuse was discovered when the boy told other children he had "had sex" with the boys.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: DPP not seeking jail term for autistic boy who raped 13-year-old. Charges or matters: three counts of anal rape on the two victims in July 2015. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

• July 2015 Adjournment
• 2017-02-13 Publication

Why: A local garda told the court that the abuse came to light because the accused was telling other children that he "had sex" with the boys. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

Read the original CNI report