Teenager accused of raping girl (15) fails to get trial ended due to stress

Tim Healy

A teenager accused of raping a girl when he was 15 has failed in a High Court challenge seeking to stop his trial because of stress caused to him as an Asperger's and ADHD sufferer by a two-year delay in charging him.

The alleged victim was also 15 at the time, and she made a complaint straight afterwards.

He was told of this by a relative, and he told his mother, who brought him to a garda station.

Gardaí conducted an investigation and interviews, and he was also later found unsuitable to be dealt with under the juvenile liaison scheme, which is aimed at preventing minors from having to enter the criminal justice system.

He was charged in December 2024, and a trial date in the Central Criminal Court was set for June 2025 - some three years since the alleged offence.

In the meantime, he had brought a High Court challenge seeking to stop it.

The DPP opposed the challenge. In October, the High Court found that while there had been blameworthy prosecutorial delay, in carrying out a balancing exercise, it found the public interest in prosecuting this offence was very strong indeed, and not just for the alleged victim in this case.

The High Court judge also pointed out he would still retain his anonymity and would have the benefit of the provisions regarding the sentencing of children should he be convicted.

While he has vulnerabilities and makes a trial difficult for him, he had not established that they were caused or exacerbated significantly by the delay, the High Court also said.

He appealed, and the DPP opposed the appeal.

In a judgment on behalf of the three-judge Court of Appeal (CoA), Mr Justice Charles Meenan also rejected the challenge.

Mr Justice Meenan said the central pillar of the appeal was that the High Court ought to have put into the balance in its decision the effect of the allegation having been against him as well as the effect on him of the delay in the prosecution.

The High Court had carried out the correct balancing exercise, and the CoA was in full agreement with the conclusions reached by the High Court.

He dismissed the appeal.

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.