A teenage boy has been accused of sexually assaulting a girl after she became unwell at a house party in Dublin, and he has now been sent forward for trial at the Central Criminal Court, reports Breaking News.
The 16-year-old boy, who has not yet entered a plea, was presented with a book of evidence during his appearance before Judge Karen Dowling at the Dublin Children’s Court.
When detailing the allegations, Garda Detective Sergeant Gavin Duffy explained that both the girl and the boy, who were in their mid-teens, had been at the same house party, reports Breaking News.
The girl stayed at the event for several hours before feeling ill later that night and heading to the bathroom.
It was claimed that she requested help from the accused, after which she lay down on the floor.
The court was told that while she remained unwell in the bathroom, the boy allegedly carried out digital penetration of her vagina. She then rose to vomit, and as she was being sick into the toilet, the accused—who cannot be identified because of reporting restrictions—”inserted his penis in her vagina”.
It was further alleged that the girl instructed him to stop, which he did, and he then assisted her in pulling her underwear back up, reports Breaking News.
She departed the location shortly afterward and reported the matter to gardaí. The teenage girl was examined at a sexual assault treatment unit (SATU), where semen was detected in the samples collected.
The girl also participated in a specialist interview with the Divisional Protective Service Unit a few weeks following the party.
Roughly three months later, the accused attended a Garda interview and provided a prepared statement, reports Breaking News.
The court heard that the accused and the complainant had previously kissed at an earlier social gathering and had been communicating via social media in the lead-up to the party.
The detective sergeant confirmed to the court that the girl did not mention experiencing pain, and the SATU examination revealed no signs of injury. As a rape charge is involved, the teenager must face trial in the Central Criminal Court, which is the required venue.
Nevertheless, the defence requested that the judge consider separating the sexual assault charge so it could be handled independently in the Children’s Court.
The prosecution opposed this approach, contending that both charges should proceed together in order to prevent duplicate trials and further trauma for those involved, reports Breaking News.
The detective sergeant acknowledged, in response to defence counsel Orla Doolin, that the boy had been cooperative, had attended the Garda station of his own accord, and had provided his version of events.
The defence argued that the sexual assault matter was suitable for the juvenile court.
However, the judge sided with the Director of Public Prosecutions and ruled that the defendant should stand trial on both charges in the higher court, granting a return-for-trial order for the two charges outlined in the book of evidence.
The schoolboy, who was accompanied by his parents, was granted bail and remanded accordingly. No date has been set yet for his next court appearance.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112, reports Breaking News.
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