A teenage boy is to face trial accused of sexually abusing another child in Dublin over a period of more than three years, including 19 alleged counts of rape.
The offences are said to have begun when the accused was just 10 years old, reports Breaking News.
The boy, now aged 15 and who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared before Dublin Children’s Court charged with 27 offences allegedly committed between 2020 and 2023 and has been sent forward for trial to the Central Criminal Court.
These include one charge under the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 of inviting or inducing another boy, under the age of 15, to engage in sexual touching, reports Breaking News.
He is also accused of seven counts of sexually assaulting the same boy, along with 19 counts of raping him on various dates.
The court imposed bail conditions, including an order that he have no contact with the other boy or his family, reports Breaking News.
A preliminary ruling under Section 75 of the Children Act was held to determine the appropriate trial venue for the non-rape allegations and whether those charges should be dealt with separately in the juvenile court.
In making that decision, the presiding judge was entitled to consider the defendant’s age and level of maturity, reports Breaking News.
Following the jurisdiction hearing, Judge Paul Kelly ruled that all of the charges should proceed together.
A book of evidence was served on the teenager and Judge Kelly granted a return for trial order, sending him forward to the Central Criminal Court where the case will be listed at a later date, reports Breaking News.
No plea has been entered at this stage.
The teenager was granted legal aid, including representation by senior counsel, and was directed to notify prosecutors if he intends to rely on an alibi defence, reports Breaking News.
Gardaà were also directed to furnish the defence with copies of interview video recordings.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline on 1800 77 8888, access text and webchat services at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help, reports Breaking News.
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