Munster rape trial: Garda defends months-long delay in interviewing children

The court heard that the specialist interviewer first became involved in the case at the end of 2016 and met the complainants in June and July of 2017

The garda agreed that it was best practice to get an interview as soon as they could but that they had to be guided by the medical and psychological background of the child. File photo: Larry Cummins

A specialist garda interviewer has defended the length of time it took to interview children who were allegedly abused by their parents and other family members.

The garda was cross-examined by defence counsel in the child abuse trial of three men and three women. The charges against the fourth woman – the children's grandmother – were withdrawn this morning by direction of the trial judge.