Courts / Dublin / Report
Man not guilty of raping young woman (18) when he was teenager
Summary
In a five‑day Central Criminal Court trial, a 16‑year‑old defendant was acquitted of raping an 18‑year‑old woman in a Dublin city park in February 2017. The court heard that the parties met in October 2016, began a consensual relationship in November, and had sex from December 2016 to January 2017. The woman testified that after a quarrel the defendant grabbed her, dragged her around a bench, and raped her. She also claimed the defendant texted a friend, offering money to keep her from reporting the incident. The defence argued the woman had fallen out with the defendant and sought reconciliation, and that the alleged rape was untrue. After two hours of deliberation, the jury returned a unanimous not‑guilty verdict. The trial included medical testimony, text‑message evidence, and cross‑examination of the complainant and her friends. The case concluded with the defendant's acquittal.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man not guilty of raping young woman (18) when he was teenager. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- October 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 2017 Incident
- February 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2020-02-26 Publication
Why: A friend of the complainant testified that the complainant had told her on the night of the incident that the other boy "had been really off with her" because the defendant had also texted this boy to say he had sex with the girl. CNI source report
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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