Wednesday 28 October 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. 1776Rape, sexual assault, aiding and abetting rape and sexual assault · Co. Limerick · 26 Dec 2022

Three boys convicted of raping 16-year-old at Limerick Racecourse await sentencing

A 16-year-old girl was raped and sexually assaulted by two boys in a car at Limerick Racecourse on 26 December 2022. Two boys, aged 13 and 15 at the time and now 16 and 17, were found guilty of rape and sexual assault, while a third boy, aged 15 at the time and now 18, was found guilty of four counts of aiding and abetting. The three boys, who are cousins with no previous convictions, denied the rape and claimed the encounter was consensual. The trial was held at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, with guilty verdicts handed down in April 2024, and all three have been in detention since. A sentencing hearing at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on 28 April 2025 was adjourned for probation reports.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Convicted28 Apr
    2 reports
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • A 16-year-old girl was raped and sexually assaulted by two boys in a car at Limerick Racecourse on 26 December 2022.
  • Two boys, aged 13 and 15 at the time and now 16 and 17, were found guilty of rape and sexual assault.
  • A third boy, aged 15 at the time and now 18, was found guilty of four counts of aiding and abetting the rapes and sexual assaults and acquitted of one count of false imprisonment.
  • The three boys are cousins with no previous convictions, and they denied the rape, eventually claiming the encounter was consensual.
  • Video clips of the incident were taken by one of the boys, including one of the girl walking away from the car after the rape.
  • When medically examined later that evening, the girl was found to have extensive bleeding and bruising, and she was a virgin prior to the attack.
Where
The incident occurred at Limerick Racecourse, Limerick.
When
The incident occurred on 26 December 2022.
In court
  • The trial took place at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork, with guilty verdicts handed down in April 2024.
  • A sentencing hearing was held at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin on 28 April 2025 and was adjourned for probation reports.
Other details
All three boys have been in detention or custody since the guilty verdicts in April 2024.
33 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe girl was raped and sexually assaulted by two boys in a car at Limerick Racecourse. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe girl was 16 years old at the time of the attack. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatTwo boys, now aged 16 and 17, were found guilty of the rape and sexual assault; they were 13 and 15 at the time. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe third boy, now 18 and aged 15 at the time, was found guilty of four counts of aiding and abetting the rapes and sexual assaults. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe third boy was acquitted of one count of false imprisonment. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • whatVideo clips of the incident were taken by one of the boys, including one of the girl walking away from the car after the rape. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe girl was in a car belonging to one of the boys' fathers. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatWhen medically examined later that evening, the girl was found to have extensive bleeding and bruising. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe girl was a virgin prior to the attack. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe boys denied raping the girl and eventually claimed it was a consensual encounter. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe three boys are all cousins with no previous convictions. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatAll three boys are in detention or custody since the guilty verdicts were handed down in April 2024. (irishmirror.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe victim was 16 years old at the time of the attack. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatTwo boys were found guilty of sexually assaulting and raping the girl. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe two boys who raped the girl were aged 13 and 15 at the time. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe third boy was found guilty of four counts of aiding and abetting the rapes and sexual assaults. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe third boy was 15 at the time of the incident. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe third boy moved the car during the attack. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatVideo clips of the incident were taken by one of the boys, including a clip of the girl walking away after being raped. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe boys denied raping the girl and told gardaí differing versions of events. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatOne of the boys said he was in Dublin on the day of the incident. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAll three boys eventually claimed the encounter was consensual. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe girl agreed to go for a walk with one of the boys because she wanted to kiss him. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe girl was on her period and had a tampon in at the time. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe girl was a virgin before the attack. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe three boys are all cousins. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe boys have no previous convictions. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereThe incident occurred at Limerick Racecourse. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe incident occurred on 26 December 2022. (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe rape and sexual assault took place on 26 December 2022. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe trial took place at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe sentencing hearing was held at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe case was adjourned for a couple of weeks for mention while probation reports are awaited. (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 28 Apr2025
    Convictedirishtimes.com, follow-up
    ‘They took away the rest of my childhood, they took away my life,’ says teenager raped by boys at Limerick Racecourse

    Sentencing hearing at Central Criminal Court (sitting in Cork) on 28 April 2025; victim impact statement read out; case adjourned for probation reports.

    victim, 18, femaleconvicted, 16, maleconvicted, 17, maleconvicted, 18, male
  2. 28 Apr2025
    Convictedirishmirror.ie, follow-up
    Teen raped by two boys at racecourse blasts attackers for taking her innocence

    Sentencing hearing details including victim impact statement read by counsel; case adjourned for probation reports and defence pleas of mitigation.

    victim, 18, femaleconvicted, 16, maleconvicted, 17, maleconvicted, 18, male