Four Dublin men had rape charges dropped at Central Criminal Court

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The rape trial against four Dublin men ended at the Central Criminal Court after all charges were dropped on 18 October 2023.

The men had denied charges including rape and sexual assault over alleged offences at a woman’s home between 8 and 9 December 2018. Reporting restrictions protect the identities of everyone involved. The State sought permission for the complainant to give evidence by video link, but the application was unsuccessful. After she could not continue giving evidence, the prosecution entered a nolle prosequi on every count, meaning the charges were dropped.

The judge addressed the jury the following day, 19 October, and said the trial had not reached a natural conclusion. The charges were dropped; the reports do not say the men were convicted or acquitted.