A Co Galway teenager has gone on trial charged with the rape and sexual assault of a teenage girl he had been dating for a few weeks.
The now 16-year-old boy pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to four charges: three counts of sexual assault involving oral rape and one count of rape of the then 13-year-old girl. The alleged incidents occurred between June and July 2023 in a Co Galway housing estate where both children lived with their families. The accused was 14 years old at the time.
Anne Rowland SC, prosecuting, told the jury in her opening address that the complainant’s mother received a Snapchat message from her daughter on July 7th, 2023, stating that the accused had raped her. The message said the complainant did not want to go to the Gardaí and just wanted her mother to know, adding that it had been going on for a while.
The girl acknowledged in court that she told her mother in the message she did not initially realize the accused had raped her until her friends helped her understand what had happened. She said the accused had repeatedly asked her for sex, but she kept saying “tomorrow, tomorrow.”
The complainant also admitted to telling her mother in the message that the accused would hit her. She sent photographs of bruising on her legs to her mother, some of which she agreed were caused by the accused pinching her.
She also identified a photograph of a bruise on her left breast, which she confirmed was caused by the accused biting her through her top. However, the complainant did not specify when these bruises occurred.
Earlier in the trial, a video interview of the girl conducted by specialist Gardaí in July 2023 was played to the jury. In the interview, she said she had been dating the accused since June 2023, approximately three weeks before the alleged rape occurred.
The girl told Gardaí that the accused repeatedly asked her for sex, to which she consistently replied “tomorrow, tomorrow.” She described an incident when they were at his house where he allegedly got on top of her, pushed her shorts aside, and penetrated her.
Following this event, she said she asked friends what she should do, and they informed her that what had happened was rape because she did not want to consent.
The complainant described occasions when the accused grabbed her head and forced her to perform oral sex, calling these instances oral rape. She recounted two other similar incidents, one occurring on the same day as the rape.
She told Gardaí that after the rape, she was very upset, experienced bleeding, and felt burning when using the toilet. She believed she might have had a kidney infection.
Regarding the bruises, the girl described a large bruise on her chest, consistent with the photographs shown in court.
In her opening address, Ms Rowland stated that the complainant’s mother discussed the Snapchat message with her daughter as soon as she received it. After further conversations with the complainant’s uncle, a decision was made to contact Gardaí.
The prosecuting counsel informed the jury that the complainant was examined at her local Sexual Assault Treatment Unit, where bruising was found inside her vagina.
The accused later met with Gardaí by arrangement. He admitted that they had been seeing each other but claimed the complainant abruptly ended the relationship. He denied that any sexual activity took place between them.
The trial continues before Mr Justice Patrick McGrath and a jury.
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. Text service and webchat options are also available at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or you can visit your local Rape Crisis Centre for support.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/galway-teenager-goes-on-trial-accused-of-raping-girl-he-was-dating-1813102.html
