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Gang rape accused told gardai he knew 'what he did' was wrong

Summary

In a Central Criminal Court trial, four men aged 22‑24, charged with raping a 17‑year‑old girl in a Midlands car on 27 December 2016, pleaded not guilty. The prosecution alleged the girl was taken to a location where the men raped her one after another. The defendants also face sexual assault and false imprisonment charges. During the trial, the fourth accused, 18 at the time, admitted in a later interview that he had seen the girl on a footpath, offered her a lift, and that she was later taken to a location where she was "grabbed and groped" by all men in the car. He claimed he knew she was not consenting and that he had felt it was wrong, stating he had "knew what he did was wrong." The trial continues before Ms Justice Tara Burns and a jury.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Gang rape accused told gardai he knew 'what he did' was wrong. Charges or matters: raping the then 17-year-old girl on the night of December 27, 2016; rape; sexual assault; false imprisonment. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• December 27, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
• March 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2022-03-24 Publication

Why: He said he felt uncomfortable because the complainant had been kissing his friend in the back and had moved to the front of the car and was kissing another of the accused. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

Read the original CNI report