Rape trial collapses as woman returns to Latvia

The trial of a west Dublin man charged with raping a Latvian woman while she was on her way to work has collapsed because the complainant has returned to her own country.

The 28-year-old accused had denied falsely imprisoning and raping the woman on June 4, 2005 in west Dublin. The trial at the Central Criminal Court had been ongoing for three days with legal argument in the absence of the jury.

Prosecuting Counsel, Ms Pauline Walley SC, read out a statement handed to gardaí by the woman, saying she had returned to Latvia to care for her sick mother. She said she wanted the accused "to pay for what he has done" but also wants to put "this suffering behind me".

Ms Justice Maureen Clark granted a prosecution application to discharge the jury and ordered the trial to be put forward for a new date.