Family seeks law reform after acquittal
What Laura, who has Down's syndrome and a mental age of about four years, does not know is that the judge in the case was compelled, under existing law, to treat Laura as any other adult. Therefore while the 20-year-old Kerry native was able to tell the judge her story she was also forced to undergo a competency test, which she failed.
As a result even though her sister had come forward to say she had witnessed the alleged assault, the judge acquitted the 23-year-old Lithuanian man accused of the attack.
