Man, 21, charged with raping child relative

A man aged 21 was arrested yesterday in Cork city and charged with raping a child, related to him.

Detective Garda Eimear Brennan arrested the man at his home before 8am and brought him before Cork District Court later in the day.

The accused was told he could reply to each of the six charges brought against him but that anything he might say would be written down and could be given in evidence in court. He made no reply to any of the charges.

The charges cover a period between November 2011 and June 2016.

The first charge stated that he raped the girl at his home in Cork. There are three further rape charges against the defendant in respect of the same complainant.

There are two charges of sexually assaulting the same girl. No details of the alleged offences were given yesterday in court.

Det Garda Brennan said the prosecution had no objection to the defendant being remanded on bail, provided certain conditions were applied.

Those conditions included that he would sign on at his local Garda station three times a week between 9am and 9pm. He is also required to live at home and notify Det Garda Brennan 48 hours in advance if there is to be any change of address. He is required not to interfere with any of the State witnesses in the case. He must surrender his passport and give an undertaking not to apply for travel documents.

The defendant is working but, because of his relatively low wages and the seriousness of the charges, Judge Olann Kelleher agreed to an application for him to be represented by Frank Buttimer on free legal aid.

Inspector John Deasy said the DPP had directed trial by indictment on all charges.

The case was put back until February 14 to allow time for preparation of a book of evidence. Once that is completed, the case will be sent forward to the Central Criminal Court.

The case was dealt with at an in-camera hearing yesterday at the courthouse on Washington St, Cork, where the defendant’s parents were present, as were members of the complainant’s family. The identity of parties in the case cannot be published for legal reasons.