Students plead guilty to sexual assaults on schoolgirl in Galway

Galway Bay fm newsroom – A 19-year-old Leaving Cert student pleaded guilty today to the statutory rape of a 15-year-old schoolgirl in Galway city two years ago. The youth, who was 17 at the time of the offence and is from another part of the country, appeared before the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Galway today. The 19 year old man who was initially charged with raping the girl, who is now 17, pleaded guilty before his trial was due to begin today, to the defilement, or statutory rape of the then underage girl at a city apartment on August 1, 2012. Two other charges of sexual assault against him were withdrawn by the prosecution following his plea to the underage rape charge. His friend, who is now also 19, and a student in another city, pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of the girl during the same incident. He had initially been charged with the attempted rape and sexual assault of the girl. John Jordan SC prosecuting said the DPP had decided not to pursue a single charge of sexual assault of “secondary participation” brought against a third, now 21-year-old accused who was present during the assaults in the apartment. Mr Justice Barry White told the jury of eight women and four men that the threat of a two-week trial had dissipated once the DPP had accepted the guilty pleas from two of the accused. Justice White agreed to a request by Mr Jordan for time to consider certain legal issues before the question of sentencing could be dealt with and he adjourned all matters to tomorrow.