Rape accused gives his account

A man accused of raping a woman who has Down syndrome has told a jury that in his country mentally disabled people are kept at home or in hospitals.

The 34-year-old has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to rape, sexual assault, and having sex with a mentally impaired person at his Dublin home on June 12, 2013.

The accused, who is from Pakistan, took the stand yesterday in his own defence and claimed that the woman enjoyed the sexual activity.

He told Padraig Dwyer, defending, that in his home country people with mental disabilities are kept in their homes or in hospitals and “they not, like, go off alone”.

He said some mentally disabled people in his home country wore badges bearing their names so people knew they had a problem.

Speaking in English with the occasional assistance of an interpreter the accused said he came to Ireland and worked up until 2013 when he was arrested for rape.

He said he often approached women on the street and invited them back to his house for sex. He said he also used prostitutes sometimes.

Asked how many women he would proposition in an average day, he replied “there is no limit. I don’t remember how many women I ask, maybe a few of them a day.”

He said that he met the alleged victim near his home and asked her how she was. “She said ‘not too bad.’ I said I live in this street, come stay with me. She said okay.”

He said they walked to his home and that she kissed him when they got inside. He said they then undressed and engaged in various sexual activities for about 20 minutes before the woman said she had to go.

Counsel asked the accused how he felt about “the sex” afterwards. He said he felt okay, “she was, like normal, like normal people with me”.

He said he never heard the term Down syndrome until his arrest.

The trial continues .