Minimising Language as Four (Needing Interpreters) Charged With Sexual Offences Against a Child By Susanne Delaney Four males, who needed interpreters (along with their family members), have appeared in court charged with several serious offences including rape, sexual assault, attempted sexual assault, and possession of child pornography "involving a minor" [a child]. At least one of the accused has an identity card that was issued in an Eastern European country. The four accused were granted bail. A fifth male is expected to be charged. Despite the nature of the charges (sexual crimes involving a child), the males are allowed to go to school (and therefore be around children). Gardaí received authorisation from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) "and arrested them at their homes on Monday morning over the incident" (that's what the media refer to as gang rape) which was "allegedly captured on video." Sounds like they filmed it (judging by the child sexual abuse imagery charges), but the media doesn't want to explicitly point that out. They were brought before Judge Brendan Toale at the Dublin Children’s Court. Two of the boys, aged 16 and 15, are accused of rape and sexual assault of the child at a location in south Dublin on a date in February 2025. The co-defendants, both aged 16, face separate charges. One is accused of "attempted sexual assault" of the girl on the same date (I'm perplexed as to what an attempted sexual assault is, as opposed to an actual sexual assault), while the other faces a single charge for possession of child pornography, which is "allegedly one video thumbnail on a mobile device, on the same date" (nice media minimising here again). The accused "were affected by the escalation of the solicitors’ dispute" with Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, and none of them were represented at the hearing." "The boys" (they're just children, see?) are eligible for legal aid. One would presume they would not be affected by such delays if they did not land in court in the first instance for allegedly sexually assaulting, raping, and filming a child during such depraved acts. In any case, because these four are alleged by the courts to be youths, their case will be prioritised and pushed ahead of other cases. Meaning "victims" who are waiting—such as myself, for 11.5 years for justice in a serious case—will have their cases pushed back (I use inverted commas because victims of crime are NOT legally classed as victims in court, but are referred to instead as "witnesses"). During the proceedings, one of the accused said, “May I say, how long until this case is over?” The judge replied that [because of the solicitors' ongoing strike] their cases could be delayed (however, it will still be pushed ahead of other cases where juveniles and people on remand are not involved). The DPP has authorised a trial on indictment in the Central Criminal Court, which deals with rape cases. The judge is to decide "if the other charges will be severed and remain in the Children’s Court." Under Section 75 of the Children Act, the juvenile court has discretion to choose to hear serious cases in the Children’s Court and "use factors such as age and level of maturity to decide what is considered appropriate." The judge explained bail conditions to "each youth" and instructed them to stay at their stated addresses, notify Gardaí of any changes, and provide a contact phone through which they must be contactable at all times. The four males must surrender their passports and travel documents, but have a whoe 24 hours to comply (inexplicably). The "boys" (they're just children, see?), who have yet to enter a plea, have the legal right to anonymity. If found guilty, these males will be out in a few very short years, without anyone ever knowing who they are. The victim herself will never even have the right to identify them publicly without severe repercussions. The case resumes next month.