Teenagers appear in court in connection with sex attack on schoolgirl
Two youths charged after a teenage girl was allegedly sexually assaulted on her way home from school have been given another two weeks to decide how they will plead.
The incident is alleged to have happened after a group of boys surrounded her and prevented her from getting away.
A 17-year-old boy and another boy, aged 16, appeared again at Dublin Children’s Court.
Judge John O’Connor adjourned the case until a date in July for them to indicate how they will plead.
The older youth was charged with sexual assault and false imprisonment of the girl on a street in north Co. Dublin on a date in 2016. The co-defendant was solely charged with false imprisonment of the girl, who was 16 at the time.
The boys were aged 15 and 14 at the time of the alleged incident.
The pair, who were accompanied to court by their mothers and their lawyers, were remanded on continuing bail.
At an earlier stage in the proceedings, Garda John Delaney told Judge John O’Connor the teens had no reply after they were charged.
The Director of Public Prosecutions had recommended the case should be dealt with in the juvenile court and not in the circuit court, which can impose lengthier sentences.
The boys cannot be named because they are minors.
In an outline of the allegations against the 17-year-old boy, Garda Delaney had said it was the prosecution case that the girl, “was walking home from school at about 4pm when she was stopped by a group of youths of which the accused is alleged to have been one”.
“She was not allowed to continue on her journey and it is alleged the accused grabbed the injured party’s breast before leaving the scene,” Garda Delaney said.
He alleged the co-accused had been in the group of youths that surrounded the girl and prevented her from leaving while she was assaulted, the court was told.
Judge O’Connor has made orders for disclosure of prosecution evidence to the defence.
