Thursday 5 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 30010Rape; oral rape · Co. Wexford

Brothers sentenced for rape of teenage girl in Wexford

In July 2019, a 14-year-old boy and his 17-year-old brother repeatedly raped a 17-year-old girl in a field near a holiday caravan park in Wexford, in front of about seven other boys. The victim had been drinking with two friends when the younger boy invited her for a chat, then attacked and raped her several times before telling her to have sex with his brother. An extensive garda investigation involving door-to-door inquiries and voluntary DNA samples led to the two brothers being identified and arrested. They pleaded guilty in May 2021 at the Central Criminal Court. In September 2021, the younger brother was sentenced to five years' detention and the older brother to seven-and-a-half years with 18 months suspended.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced20 Sep
    3 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • A 14-year-old boy and his 17-year-old brother repeatedly raped a 17-year-old girl in a field near a holiday caravan park in Wexford in front of about seven other boys.
  • The victim had been drinking with two friends when the younger boy invited her to go for a chat, then attacked and raped her several times before telling her to have sex with his brother.
Where
The attacks took place at night in a field near a holiday caravan park in a coastal town in Wexford.
When
The incident occurred in July 2019.
Investigation
An extensive garda investigation involving door-to-door inquiries and voluntary DNA samples led to the two boys being identified and arrested.
Charges
The brothers pleaded guilty in May 2021 to raping the girl.
In court
The case was heard at the Central Criminal Court before Justice Paul McDermott.
Sentence
The younger brother was sentenced to five years' detention and the older brother to seven-and-a-half years with 18 months suspended.
Other details
  • The judge noted threats of violence used by the younger boy prior to the rapes and the public nature of the assaults as aggravating factors.
  • The victim suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, dropped out of school, and developed anorexia.
  • Neither of the convicted rapists can be named because the older brother's name would identify his younger brother, a juvenile.
47 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe younger boy repeatedly raped the teenage girl. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe younger boy told the victim she had to have sex with his older brother. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe attacks occurred in front of a group of about seven other boys. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatA 16-year-old boy raped a teenage girl in a field near a holiday resort in Co Wexford in July 2019. (rte.ie)
  • whatHis 19-year-old brother, who was 17 at the time, also raped the girl. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe victim was 17 at the time of the incident. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe victim had been drinking with two other girls when the brothers approached them. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe then 14-year-old boy invited the victim to go for a chat. (rte.ie)
  • whatHe attacked and violently raped her several times, then told her she had to have sex with his brother. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe brother then also raped the girl. (rte.ie)
  • whereThe attacks took place at night in a field near a holiday caravan park in Wexford. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe attacks took place in a field near a holiday resort in Co Wexford. (rte.ie)
  • whereThe assaults took place in a field near a caravan park in a coastal town in Wexford. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe incident occurred in July 2019. (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationAn extensive garda investigation involving door-to-door inquiries and voluntary DNA samples led to the two boys being identified and arrested. (rte.ie)
  • investigationAn extensive garda investigation involved door-to-door inquiries and voluntary DNA samples from suspects. (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeIn May 2021 the brothers admitted what they had done and pleaded guilty to the charges. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe two brothers pleaded guilty in May 2021 to raping the girl. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe case was heard at the Central Criminal Court before Justice Paul McDermott. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMr Justice Paul McDermott said the victim was preyed upon during the terrifying and violent incident. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe two brothers pleaded guilty in May 2021. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtSentencing took place at the Central Criminal Court before Justice Paul McDermott. (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe younger brother was sentenced to five years' detention. (irishtimes.com, rte.ie, irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe older brother was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years with 18 months suspended. (irishtimes.com, irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe older brother was sentenced to seven and a half years with the final eighteen months suspended. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe judge noted threats of violence used by the younger boy prior to the rapes as an aggravating factor. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherBoth defendants knew the girl was in a distressed and vulnerable state and was not consenting to sex. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe younger boy was attending school and hopes to complete his Leaving Cert. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe boy suggested he had a confused understanding of consent and minimised the seriousness of the offence. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe brothers initially told gardaí they were not at the scene and claimed the sexual acts were consensual. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe victim suffers from post traumatic stress disorder, dropped out of school and developed anorexia. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe victim said she is petrified of 99% of men, including her father and brother. (rte.ie)
  • otherNeither of the convicted rapists can be identified. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe judge said the brothers knew the girl was in a distressed and vulnerable state. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe judge said the younger boy was clearly out of control at the time and for the three years leading up to the rapes. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe assaults took place in front of about seven other boys. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe victim was with two female friends who had been drinking earlier that evening. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe younger brother was 14 at the time of the offence. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe older brother was 17 at the time of the offence and is now 19. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe boy orally raped the victim, then anally raped her, then vaginally raped her. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe victim told gardaí she tried to fight back but felt too weak to stop him. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe defendants initially told gardaí they were not at the scene, then later claimed the sexual acts were consensual. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe victim, now 19, said the attacks left her suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe victim dropped out of school and developed anorexia. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe younger accused is still attending school and hopes to complete his Leaving Cert. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe judge noted the victim was in a distressed and vulnerable state and was not consenting. (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe older brother cannot be named because doing so would identify his younger brother, a juvenile. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 20 Sep2021
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, its first report
    Schoolboy who raped teenage girl in Wexford field receives sentence

    Sentencing details at the Central Criminal Court before Justice Paul McDermott; victim impact statement; account of the assault outlined by Detective Garda Alan O'Shea; details of the garda investigation including door-to-door inquiries and voluntary DNA samples.

    victim, 19, femaleaccused, 14, maleaccused, 19, male
  2. 20 Sep2021
    Sentencedrte.ie, its first report
    Teenage brothers sentenced over rape of girl in Wexford

    Sentencing report: the 16-year-old (then 14) was sentenced to five years' detention and the 19-year-old (then 17) to seven and a half years with the final eighteen months suspended by Mr Justice Paul McDermott. The victim described the lasting impact including PTSD, dropping out of school and developing anorexia.

    victim, 17, femaleconvicted, 16, maleconvicted, 19, male
  3. 20 Sep2021
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Teenager who raped girl in Wexford is sentenced

    Reports the sentencing of two brothers who pleaded guilty in May 2021 to repeatedly raping a teenage girl in Wexford. The younger (14 at the time) was given five years' detention; the older (17 at the time) was given seven-and-a-half years with 18 months suspended.

    victim, femaleconvicted, 14, male, irishconvicted, 17, male, irish