Courts / Wicklow / Report
Man with intellectual age of 14 is jailed for rape when he was teen
Summary
A 22‑year‑old man, assessed as having the intellectual capacity of a 14‑year‑old, was jailed for two years after pleading guilty to raping a 16‑year‑old girl in January 2017. The victim, who was also 16 at the time, described the assault as having permanently altered her life, leaving her with PTSD, insomnia, night terrors and panic attacks. She said the accused had taken her innocence and treated her like a rag doll, dehumanising her and causing her shame. The court considered the victim's testimony, the defendant's cognitive difficulties, his guilty plea and lack of prior convictions. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed a sentence of three and a half years, suspending the final 18 months on strict conditions, including probation supervision, no contact with the victim and engagement with appropriate services. The sentence reflected the mitigating factors of the defendant's age, maturity and intellectual capacity.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man with intellectual age of 14 is jailed for rape when he was teen. Charges or matters: raping the girl in Co Wicklow on a date between the 1st and 31st of January 2017. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- January 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2022-11-25 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: raping the girl in Co Wicklow on a date between the 1st and 31st of January 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: A man with the intellectual capacity of a 14-year-old, who was 16 years old when he raped a girl the same age, has been jailed for two years. He imposed a sentence of three and a half years and suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions, including that there be probation supervision, that the man have no contact with the injured party and that he engage with appropriate services.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
Related court reports
- 'Alternative dispute resolution': man arranged 'straightener' during which dad-of-seven was stabbed to death
- Serial burglar jailed for stealing from restaurant lockers
- 'He's an adult and well able to take responsibility' - Judge gives man time to compensate ex for damage to property
- Domestic violence accused loses habeas corpus appeal
- Brothers attacked man in toilet cubicle after Tyson Fury match 'banter'
- Murder accused pleads guilty to violent disorder at playground
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request