Teenager gets suspended sentence for rape and sexual assault

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

A teenager pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to five counts of oral rape and 44 counts of sexual assault. The proceedings were reported on 1 April 2019.

The abuse of his eight-year-old half-sister took place in the Munster area between September 2016 and January 2017. The teenager cannot be named to protect his identity and that of his half-sister.

Mr Justice Michael White sentenced him to five years of detention, suspending the entire sentence for five years on condition that he follow Probation Service directions, keep the peace and be of good behaviour for five years.

The judge also required him to live away from his parents for a period recommended by NIAP, an inter-agency project that treats adolescents who sexually abuse. That condition would continue to apply when he turned 18. He was also ordered to take part in a treatment programme to educate him about the consequences of his offending behaviour.