Rape victim group: Judges need guidelines on bail refusal

THE Rape Crisis Network wants judges to be given clear guidelines on when they should refuse bail to convicted sex offenders, particularly those who have abused children.

A spokesperson for Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) said the criminal justice system needed to consider whether bail pending sentence was wise or appropriate for those convicted of serious offences against a person.

The comments came after a judge granted bail to a convicted 61-year-old child abuser who is awaiting sentence. The man raped and sexually assaulted a young boy over a period of five years. The abuse began when the boy was only five years old. He is now 17.