Rape Network seeks improved underage sex laws

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is calling for improved legislation governing the area of underage sex.

The call follows the acquittal yesterday of a 27-year-old man who had consensual sex with a 13-year-old girl seven years ago.

The jury in the case accepted the man's defence that he was not aware the girl was under the legal age of consent and took less than an hour to return a not-guilty verdict.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre says legislation in this area is still flawed because of the Government's rushed attempts to fix the situation when the statutory-rape laws were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court two years ago.

That ruling was made because the law did not allow defendants to argue that they genuinely believed the victim was over the age of consent.