Judgment in same-sex rape case was perplexing in the extreme

IRRESPECTIVE of age or sex, the decision arrived at by Mr Justice Paul Carney this week in the case of a young man who pleaded guilty to the rape of a much older man is perplexing in the extreme.

It was worrying to say the least and one which, I think, was justifiably criticised by the chairwoman of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Breda Allen. She said that as a result of the decision, victims of sex crimes may decline to report attacks.

It involved the case of 17-year-old Gary Davis who pleaded guilty to buggering his 50-year-old victim. He raped him in a car park after assaulting him and knocking him to the ground.