Courts / Ireland / Report

Westmeath man convicted of raping 14-year-old girl

Summary

During a 17‑day trial at the Central Criminal Court, a 24‑year‑old Westmeath man was convicted of raping a 14‑year‑old girl in a field near her home. The defendant claimed the victim had willingly participated and enjoyed the act. Text messages sent in 2011 between the girl and her friends, which referenced sexual acts, were presented to the jury. The girl, now 18, denied lying about her sexual activity and denied ever performing oral sex with another boy of her age. She testified that she met the man on the road, was persuaded to go into a field, and that he forced her to lie down, kissed her, removed her clothing, and raped her. The jury returned guilty verdicts on all charges in under two hours. The defendant was remanded in custody pending a full sentence hearing. The victim's name was withheld to protect her anonymity. The unnamed 14-year-old pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Westmeath man convicted of raping 14-year-old girl. Charges or matters: defilement of a child under the age of 15 at a location in Westmeath on June 3, 2011. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• June 3, 2011 Other
• 2015-08-05 Publication

Why: She said he walked with her for a bit and kept asking her to go into a field with him for a couple of minutes because he had something in there he wanted to get. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Sexual Offences Stage Sentence

Read the original CNI report