Courts / Ireland / Report
Barristers need to adapt how they communicate with the deaf complainant, rape jury hears
Summary
The Central Criminal Court trial of seven men accused of sexually abusing a deaf family member continued, with the jury hearing evidence from the complainant regarding Accused B. The 48-year-old uncle is accused of eight counts of rape, oral rape, and anal rape between December 2008 and December 2010, charges he denies. The complainant, testifying via videolink with sign language interpreters and a linguistics intermediary, described alleged incidents, including one on New Year's Eve 2013. The court paused proceedings after Ms Justice Caroline Biggs identified difficulties in the complainant's communication regarding timelines. She instructed counsel to adapt their questioning methodology to ensure clarity, noting the witness's limited linguistic ability to convey sequence. The trial involves six other accused: Accused A (55), accused of one count of rape; Accused C (34), facing 45 counts against the complainant and additional charges involving two sisters; Accused D (33), who pleaded not guilty to 19 counts of rape and three of anal rape; Accused E (32), denying nine counts of anal rape and seven of rape; Accused F (32), denying five counts; and Accused G (45), denying one count of rape. All defendants deny the allegations. The trial, expected to last four months, was adjourned to allow legal teams to regroup and refine their approach to the witness.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Barristers need to adapt how they communicate with the deaf complainant, rape jury hears. Procedural stage: trial
When:
- December 2008 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 2009 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
- 1996 and 2013 Other
- 2001 and 2013 Incident
- 2005 and 2006 Incident
- 2016 and 2019 Incident
- 2013 and 2014 Incident
- 2002 and 2013 Incident
- 2003 and 2011 Incident
- 2007 and 2010 Incident
- 1996 and 1997 Incident
- New Years Eve 2013 Incident
- 2025-11-18 Publication
Case subjects
Accused
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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