Man’s rape conviction appeal dismissed by Supreme Court

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

An unnamed man’s appeal against his rape conviction was dismissed by the Supreme Court, reported on 20 December 2019. The case concerned the rape of his 11-year-old niece after a 44-year delay between the offence and trial.

The court ruled by a three-to-two majority that the delay and the death of a potential defence witness had not made the trial unfair. The man had been convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in May 2016 of rape and indecent assault involving events between August 1971 and April 1972.