Courts / Dublin / Report

"I want this woman to stand in front of me", man accused of raping Down syndrome woman told gardai

Date
2015-11-26

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

In a case heard at the Central Criminal Court, a foreign national was arrested and charged with rape, sexual assault and having sex with a mentally impaired person. The accused, who was found at the victim's Dublin home on 12 June 2013, claimed that the sexual contact was consensual and that he was unaware of the woman's Down syndrome. During the arrest, he told Gardaí that he wanted "this woman to stand in front of me". The victim, a woman in her twenties who had become separated from her mother while walking, was taken to the accused's house where the alleged rape occurred. Garda Alan Hughes reported that the accused was handcuffed and brought to the station, where he repeated the statement. The trial, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt with a jury of six men and six women, continues to consider the allegations and the accused's defence. The unnamed accused pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "I want this woman to stand in front of me", man accused of raping Down syndrome woman told gardai. Charges or matters: rape, sexual assault and having sex with a mentally impaired person at his Dublin home on June 12, 2013. Procedural stage: sentence

When: