Courts / Ireland / Report

Prosecution face 'devastating problem' of man being accused of raping sister when he was aged 4

Summary

The prosecution in the case of six men accused of sexually abusing a deaf relative faces a significant challenge after the main complainant alleged that one of her brothers raped her when he was four years old. The trial in the Central Criminal Court continued with Karl Finnegan SC presenting the defence case. The six men, aged between 32 and 55, face 20 charges, with 16 related to the main complainant, who is deaf. The abuse is alleged to have occurred over 19 years, from 1995 to 2014. Accused C, one of the defendants, is charged with 10 counts of sexual abuse, including rape and sexual assault, against his older sister and two younger sisters. The charges have been significantly reduced from the original 45, with some withdrawn by the Director of Public Prosecutions. Finnegan argued that the prosecution's case has deteriorated, with changes in the alleged acts, locations, and ages involved. He highlighted the implausibility of the allegations, such as a four-year-old boy raping a seven-year-old girl, and questioned the credibility of the complainant's evidence. The unnamed 11-year-old pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Prosecution face 'devastating problem' of man being accused of raping sister when he was aged 4. Charges or matters: two counts of raping her on dates between 2015 and 2018. Procedural stage: trial

When:

• 1995 and 2014 Incident
• 2003 and 2010 Incident
• 2005 and 2006 Incident
• 2015 and 2018 Incident
• 2010 and 2014 Other
• 2007 and 2009 Other
• 2026-05-05 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Trial Violent Crime

Read the original CNI report