Ireland Sexual assault charges dropped, Sudanese man rearrested for deportation in Dublin
A 27-year-old Sudanese man was charged with two counts of sexual assault after an alleged incident involving a 10-year-old girl in State care near an IPAS centre in Citywest, Saggart, Dublin, on 20 October 2025. The allegations sparked three days of rioting in the area, during which 37 people were arrested and 28 charged. On 23 October 2026, the DPP withdrew both charges via nolle prosequi at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Martin Nolan discharged the man and ordered his release from custody. He was immediately rearrested by the Garda National Immigration Bureau on foot of a deportation order in the Midlands area and is held in Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, pending deportation to Sudan.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested23 Oct
- Chargednot reported
- In court23 Oct
3 reports - Verdict
- Sentenced
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A 27-year-old Sudanese man was charged with two counts of sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl in State care.
- Where
- The alleged incident took place near an IPAS centre in Citywest, Saggart, Dublin.
- When
- The alleged incident occurred on 20 October 2025.
- Cause
- The allegations fuelled three days of rioting at Citywest in October 2025, during which 37 people were arrested and 28 charged.
- Charges
- The man was charged with two counts of sexual assault in October 2025 and held on remand until the charges were withdrawn.
- In court
- On 23 October 2026, nolle prosequi was entered on both charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Martin Nolan, who discharged the man and ordered his release.
- Investigation
- The DPP decided a successful prosecution was unlikely after reviewing the file.
- The man was immediately rearrested by the Garda National Immigration Bureau on foot of a deportation order; the Garda press release stated the arrest took place in the Midlands area, while an earlier report said Dublin.
- Other details
- A deportation order was made in spring 2025 but was never carried out, and an agreement with the Sudanese government has been reached for his deportation.
- The man is held in custody at Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, pending deportation.
63 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA man in his 20s was arrested on foot of a deportation order (garda.ie)
- whatA man in his 20s was arrested by Gardaí from GNIB on foot of a deportation order. (gript.ie)
- whatGript understands the man is the Sudanese asylum seeker charged with sex offences over an alleged incident involving a 10-year-old girl in State care near Citywest. (gript.ie)
- whatThe man was charged with sexual assault of a young girl at Citywest in Dublin. (thejournal.ie)
- whatIt was alleged that the man kissed the girl. (thejournal.ie)
- whereThe arrest took place in the Midlands area (thejournal.ie, garda.ie)
- whereThe man was released from Midlands prison. (rte.ie)
- whereThe alleged sexual assault took place near an IPAS centre. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe Garda press release was amended to say the arrest took place in the Midlands area, not Dublin. (gript.ie)
- whereThe article states the arrest took place in the Dublin area. (gript.ie)
- whereThe alleged meeting took place near a hotel used as an IPAS centre. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe charges against the man were dropped on the day of the article. (rte.ie)
- whenThe alleged sexual assault took place on 20 October 2025. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe alleged incidents took place at Citywest, Saggart, on 20 October 2025. (gript.ie)
- causeFalse allegations and misinformation circulated online and fuelled three days of rioting at Citywest in Dublin in October 2025. (rte.ie)
- investigationThirty-seven people were arrested over the riots, and 28 of them were charged with criminal offences. (rte.ie)
- investigationThe arrest was carried out by Gardaí from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (garda.ie)
- investigationGardaí are monitoring online activity about a planned protest. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe man was re-arrested on foot of a deportation order. (extra.ie)
- investigationThe DPP decided a successful prosecution was unlikely after reviewing the file. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe man was charged with two counts of sexual assault at a location in Dublin on 20 October 2025 (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe man was arrested and charged with two counts of sexual assault on 20 October 2025. (rte.ie)
- chargeTwo sexual assault charges against the man have been withdrawn. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe Director of Public Prosecutions indicated it would not pursue the alleged offences. (gript.ie)
- chargeBoth charges against the man were withdrawn through a nolle prosequi. (gript.ie)
- chargeA man is accused of sexual assault. (extra.ie)
- chargeThe man had been held on remand since being charged in October of last year. (thejournal.ie)
- courtNolle prosequi was entered on both charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court (thejournal.ie)
- courtJudge Martin Nolan presided over the hearing (thejournal.ie)
- courtJudge Nolan told the man he should be released from custody (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe State told Judge Martin Nolan in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that it was not proceeding against the man. (rte.ie)
- courtThe judge directed that the man be released from custody. (rte.ie)
- courtThe DPP decided to discontinue the prosecution before the final court hearing. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe man appeared by video-link from Midlands Prison in Portlaoise. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe accused had previously been sent forward for trial on two charges relating to the sexual assault of a child. (gript.ie)
- courtJudge Nolan agreed to discharge the man from the indictment. (gript.ie)
- courtThe man was ordered released from custody and the trial date was vacated. (gript.ie)
- courtThe DPP withdrew the sexual assault charges against the Sudanese man in court. (thejournal.ie)
- courtCounsel for the DPP applied to strike out the two charges in court on 23 October. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe judge freed the man, but gardaí immediately rearrested him on a deportation order. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe man is currently in custody (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe case sparked a riot targeting people in asylum accommodation in Citywest (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe riot involved a two-hour stand-off outside the IPAS centre in Citywest (thejournal.ie)
- otherDozens were arrested and three gardaí were injured during the riot (thejournal.ie)
- otherA garda van was set alight during the riot (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe man was rearrested on a deportation order. (rte.ie)
- otherThe man was arrested by officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau. (rte.ie)
- otherThe individual is currently in custody (garda.ie)
- otherThe man was arrested for deportation immediately after he was freed. (irishtimes.com)
- otherA deportation order was made in spring 2025 but was never carried out. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe man is expected to remain in custody until he is deported. (irishtimes.com)
- otherCalls for a protest outside the Citywest IPAS centre circulated on social media. (irishtimes.com)
- otherA protest at the Citywest IPAS centre last year turned violent. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe accused's application for international protection had been refused and he was subject to a deportation order, as previously reported. (gript.ie)
- otherThe decision to drop the charges was made by the prosecution, and no official reason has been made public. (gript.ie)
- otherThe allegations sparked protests outside the Citywest complex in October 2025 that escalated into violent disorder. (gript.ie)
- otherThe girl was missing from her Tusla care home. (thejournal.ie)
- otherNews of the alleged incident prompted two nights of rioting in the area. (thejournal.ie)
- otherSome garda investigators were surprised by the decision to withdraw the case. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe man had previously failed in several bids to stay in Ireland and a warrant had been issued to remove him. (thejournal.ie)
- otherIreland has reached an agreement with the Sudanese government to deport the man. (thejournal.ie)
- otherAn agreement with the Sudanese embassy in Dublin resolved the problem of the man's travel documents. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe man is in custody in Midlands Prison. (thejournal.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 31 Oct2026Man to be deported to Sudan after Citywest sexual assault charge dropped
Reports that the DPP withdrew the charges on 23 October, that the man was rearrested on a deportation order, and that an agreement with Sudan is being arranged for his deportation.
accused, male, Sudanese, non-irishvictim, female - 24 Oct2026Man accused of sexual assault in Citywest re-arrested on foot of deportation order
Article body is empty (website template code only); all details taken from the headline.
suspect, male - 23 Oct2026Man arrested on foot of deportation order
Both sexual assault charges were withdrawn via nolle prosequi at the DPP's direction; Judge Nolan discharged the man from the indictment and ordered his release. He was subsequently arrested by GNIB on foot of a deportation order. An update amended the arrest location from Dublin to the Midlands area. The man had previously told gardai the girl said she was 18 and he had 'just kissed her.' The allegations had sparked protests and violent disorder outside Citywest in October 2025.
accused, 27, male, Sudanese, non-irishvictim, 10, female - 23 Oct2026Man arrested for deportation after Citywest sexual assault case is dropped
Adds details on the DPP's decision to discontinue the prosecution, the immediate deportation arrest by GNIB, the man's statement about the second charge, the rioting details, and Tusla's apology for its earlier statement.
accused, 27, malevictim, 10, female - 23 Oct2026Male Arrested On Foot of Deportation Order – 23rd October 2026
Initial report of a GNIB arrest on foot of a deportation order in the Midlands area.
accused, 20s, male - 23 Oct2026Man rearrested after Citywest assault charges dropped
Charges dropped via nolle prosecui; man released from Midlands prison and immediately rearrested by Garda National Immigration Bureau on a deportation order.
accused, 27, malevictim, female - 1 Oct2026Man at centre of Citywest case to be deported after sexual assault charges dropped
Reports that nolle prosequi was entered on both sexual assault charges at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 23 October 2026, and that the man was subsequently arrested by GNIB on a deportation order in the Midlands area and is in custody.
accused, 27, male
Changed after publication
facts outlets added, removed or correctedthejournal.ie, 31 Oct 2026, 12:55: Man to be deported to Sudan after Citywest sexual assault charge dropped
- CorrectedThe man's legal outcome changed from being cleared of the sexual assault to having the charges dropped. (was A man was cleared of a sexual assault on a young girl at Citywest in Dublin., now Charges that he sexually assaulted a young girl at Citywest in Dublin were dropped.)
- AddedIreland is named as the party that reached the deportation agreement with the Sudanese government.
thejournal.ie, 31 Oct 2026, 10:37: Man to be deported to Sudan after Citywest sexual assault charge dropped
- RemovedThe location of the incident was given as near Santry in Dublin, and this detail was dropped.
- CorrectedThe victim was described as a teenage girl and is now described only as a young girl. (was A sexual assault on a teenage girl at Citywest., now A sexual assault on a young girl at Citywest.)
rte.ie, 30 Oct 2026, 01:23: Man rearrested after Citywest assault charges dropped
- RemovedGardaí had ruled out foul play in the deaths of a man and a woman in Bray.
- AddedA court was told that a Sinn Féin TD signed off on two non-charity entities.