Junior cert student is sexually assaulted by group of classmates in shocking attack
The dark structure was full of eight boys, all of whom were fellow classmates of the girl.
On the morning of June 7, 2019, a 15-year-old student from Waterford arrived to her school to sit her junior certificate exam. Upon finishing the exam, she left the school on break and walked to a nearby park. Whilst here, she entered a structure in the park.
The dark structure was full of eight boys, all of whom were fellow classmates of the girl.
The boys trapped her in the structure and sexually assaulted her.
Four of the boys involved, who are now aged in their early twenties, appeared in Waterford Courthouse recently to be sentenced. Three of them have been convicted of sexual assault and one convicted of false imprisonment.
The legal proceedings have been complicated and prolonged. All the parties involved are now adults and matters relating to delays in the case were previously brought before the Supreme Court.
The sentencing hearing in Waterford last week was ‘in-camera’, and the men’s names have been redacted from this report to protect the identity of the victim.
After her morning exam, the victim entered the structure and found herself trapped alone inside with a group of eight boys.
She became surrounded by the boys, and they began touching and groping her. One of the boys pulled down his clothing and exposed himself.
Two boys stood at the entrance to the structure, blocking the victim’s exit. The victim recounts that she tried to escape but was grabbed by her waist and pushed back inside.
She pleaded with the boys to leave her out, however, she remained trapped for approximately 20 minutes.
The incident came to an end when some other young girls from the school came on the scene. They all returned to school with the victim to sit their afternoon exam.
Upon leaving school later that day, the victim’s mother recounted that her daughter appeared upset.
A report of the incident was made to gardaí several months later, in February 2020, and the victim was subsequently interviewed in detail by specialist interviewers.
In her complaint to Gardaí, the victim described having felt like “a monkey in a cage” during the incident.
Four of the boys involved were arrested and questioned in mid-August 2020.
None of them made any admissions.
Two of the boys have previous convictions for possession of drugs and drug driving offences.
A victim impact statement was presented during the court proceedings in Waterford last week.
The statement outlined that the victim has suffered from night terrors, panic attacks, anxiety, self-loathing and feelings of suicide since the incident.
The “unsafe, anxious feeling never left me”, she said in the statement.
The incident changed her relationship with family and friends, and she still struggles to trust people.
She believes that the individuals involved have learned nothing since the assault, and that they have displayed no honesty, courage or humanity.
“They are far from sorry,” the statement said.
The victim also said that she doesn’t feel like the legal system has treated her well.
“I can now only hope that the defence will do what they should have done six years ago,” the statement concluded.
The four men protest their innocence and have been consistent in their denials.
Each of their defence counsels all referred to their young age at the time of the incident as a mitigating factor. The defence also outlined that there was no age disparity between the assailants and the victim.
Before proceedings can commence, a probation report will need to be obtained for one of the men.
All four were remanded on continuing bail until January 14.
