Courts / Wicklow / Report

Child rapist to remain anonymous despite victim's wishes

Date
2019-11-14

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Wicklow

County
Wicklow

Summary

In a High Court decision on 14 November 2019, Mr Justice Michael White upheld an order that kept the names of a convicted child rapist and his victim anonymous, despite the victim's request to waive her anonymity. The judge explained that the order had been made at the request of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) during the trial and that the court had no mandate to alter it after the trial concluded. The DPP later applied on the victim's behalf to waive her anonymity, but the defence argued that no legal basis exists for a victim to do so. Mr Justice White noted that while a victim may disclose the offender's identity to third parties, publishing or broadcasting such information remains a criminal offence under the relevant Act.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Child rapist to remain anonymous despite victim's wishes. Charges or matters: repeatedly raping a neighbour's nine year old child in the late 1980s after a trial last March. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted

When:

July 1992 Hearing Or Sentence
2019-11-14 Publication

Why: As the publication of the accused's name could identify the victim in this case because they were neighbours, the victim would need to waive her legal anonymity in order for the rapist to be named. CNI source report