Down syndrome woman ‘lacked capacity to consent to intercourse’

A woman with Down syndrome who was allegedly raped in Dublin two years ago did not have the capacity to consent to sexual intercourse, a trial has heard.

A 34-year-old man is accused of luring the woman back to his Dublin house and raping her after she became separated from her mother on the street.

He admits there was some sexual contact with the woman but maintains that it was consensual and that he didn’t know she was mentally impaired.