Courts / Dublin / Report

Notorious child rapist 'Rossi' Walsh fails in 'confused' miscarriage of justice bid

Summary

The Court of Appeal has rejected Stephen 'Rossi' Walsh's application for a certificate of miscarriage of justice. Walsh, a convicted child rapist with former addresses at Belgrave Road, Rathgar, Dublin 6, and Coologmartin, Donadea, Co Kildare, argued that the State acted unlawfully by bringing him back to court in November 2024 to seek additional post-release supervision conditions. He had previously been sentenced to ten years in jail in February 2010 for raping a nine-year-old girl, and later received a consecutive 12-year sentence in December 2011 for sexual assault and defilement, with the final two years suspended. In the 2024 proceedings, Mr Justice Paul Burns refused the State's application to vary conditions under the Sex Offenders Act, 2001, ruling the statute did not permit the request. Walsh subsequently claimed this constituted a miscarriage of justice under section 9 of the Criminal Procedure Act 1993. However, the three-judge panel, led by Mr Justice John Edwards, found that the State's unsuccessful application was a legitimate procedural step, not a second sentencing. The court emphasized that inconvenience does not equate to a miscarriage of justice, which requires inappropriate deprivation of liberty. Consequently, the appeal was dismissed, and Walsh's convictions remain extant.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Notorious child rapist 'Rossi' Walsh fails in 'confused' miscarriage of justice bid. Procedural stage: appeal

When:

• February 2010 Other
• December 2011 Incident
• November 2024 Incident
• 2008 and 2009 Incident
• 2026-03-12 Publication

Why: He said that the State brought Walsh back to court because they wanted to add extra conditions to the post-supervision order, but the judge hearing this application had ruled that the State was not entitled to do that. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report