Sunday 1 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. 21971Rape and sexual assault · Co. Kerry · 26 Jul 2020

Teenage girl raped in Kerry forest by two male youths

A teenage girl was raped and sexually assaulted on a forest path in Kerry in July 2020 by two male youths aged 17 and 15. At a sentencing hearing in March 2023, a victim impact statement described the lasting psychological trauma, and the judge reserved judgment pending sentencing in Dublin.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court10 Mar
  5. Convicted10 Mar
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
40 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe teenage girl was raped and sexually assaulted a number of times over two and a half hours in a rural part of Co Kerry in July 2020. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe victim described suffering depression and an eating disorder since the incidents. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe victim described the eating disorder as a way of killing herself slowly. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe victim was hospitalised in a psychiatric unit at a point where her organs were failing. (rte.ie)
  • whatSome of the offences took place simultaneously. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe 16-year-old and a friend sneaked out of her home in the early hours of the morning to meet the two accused and another teenager. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe victim consumed at least five cans of cider and three-quarters of a bottle of wine. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe victim described herself as being drunk and clueless, passing in and out of consciousness during the offences. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe question of consent was central to the trial, with the defence claiming she consented and the prosecution arguing she did not or was incapable of consenting. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe victim continues to suffer panic attacks and feels she cannot cope. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe victim gave up school, never did her Leaving Cert, has no qualifications, gave up all her sports and dropped most of her friends. (rte.ie)
  • whatThe victim had taken more than a thousand tablets over the last two years, had over 150 hours of counselling, and been hospitalised for more than 100 days. (rte.ie)
  • whatTwo male youths were found guilty of six out of eight charges (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim developed an eating disorder and depression following the attack (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim was hospitalised in a psychiatric unit due to her eating disorder (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim had taken over a thousand prescription tablets over the last two years (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim had 156 hours of counselling (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim left school and gave up her hobbies in the aftermath (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim was drinking wine and cider and was described as a bit wobbly (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe victim had an on and off relationship with the older accused (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe youths continued to assault the girl after she fell into a ditch while trying to pull up her leggings (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe older man had just turned 17 at the time of the offence (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe incident took place on a forest path in County Kerry (irishmirror.ie)
  • whereThe victim met three boys in a clearing area in a forest near her home (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe rape and sexual assault occurred in the early hours of 26 July 2020 (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThe older teenager, now 19, was found guilty of rape, oral rape and two counts of sexual assault of the then 16-year-old girl. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe younger teenager, now 17, was found guilty of one count of oral rape and one count of sexual assault. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe older teenager was convicted of one count of rape, one count of oral rape and two counts of sexual assault (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeThe younger teenager was found guilty of one count of oral rape and one count of sexual assault (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtA victim impact statement was read to the Central Criminal Court on the teenager's behalf. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe sentencing hearing took place at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe two teenagers were convicted by a jury following a 12-day trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Tralee, Co Kerry, in January. (rte.ie)
  • courtSenior Counsel Mark Nicholas, for the older teenager, asked that sentencing be as lenient and proportionate as possible given his client was 17 at the time. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe jury found them not guilty on a second charge of rape by the older teenager and another count of sexual assault against the younger man (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe trial took place at a Central Criminal Court sitting in Tralee, Co Kerry in January 2023 (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe sentencing hearing was held at a sitting of the Central Criminal Court in Cork on 10 March 2023 (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtJudge Michael McGrath reserved his judgment in the case (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe defendants were remanded in custody pending sentencing on 23 March 2023 at a sitting in Dublin (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherFor legal reasons, none of the three teenagers can be identified. (rte.ie)
  • otherNeither of the two convicted teenagers had any previous convictions. (rte.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 10 Mar2023
    Convictedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Teen girl raped in Kerry forest 'considered ending her life' following attack

    Sentencing hearing at Central Criminal Court in Cork; victim impact statement read; judge reserved judgment; defendants remanded in custody pending 23 March 2023 sentencing in Dublin.

    victim, femaleconvicted, 19, maleconvicted, 17, male
  2. 10 Mar2023
    In courtrte.ie, follow-up
    Teenager tells court Kerry attack 'changed everything'

    Victim impact statement read at sentencing hearing; older teenager remanded in custody to prison, younger in detention; sentence to be passed 23 March 2023 in Dublin.

    victim, 16, femaleconvicted, 19, maleconvicted, 17, male