Cork teenager, 17, charged with defiling girl a year younger 'is a child in the eyes of the law'

The judge said the girl “is a very brave and courageous young lady. What should have been a great night turned into the worst night of her life".

The young man was sentenced to a period of detention of two years and six months, but this was deferred for a year. Picture: Larry Cummins

A 14-year-old girl was defiled by a boy one year older than her when she went on a sleepover and now the sentencing judge has said that the defendant too “is a child in the eyes of the law”.

Mr Justice Michael McGrath said to the accused: “If you were an adult at the time a period of detention would be inevitable.” Mr Justice McGrath imposed a period of detention of two years and six months but he said that this sentence was being deferred for a year as he said that putting a child into detention was a matter of last resort for the courts.