A man in his 20s, whose identity has been withheld for legal reasons, is under accusation for sexually assaulting a woman at a student housing facility in Dublin. He has been released on bail as a book of evidence is being compiled.
The accused made his appearance at the Dublin District Court on a Saturday, following directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for him to face charges for the alleged offence, said to have taken place the previous year.
According to the presiding judge, William Aylmer, orders have been placed to restrict reporting in this case in order to protect the identities of both the accused and the plaintiff.
The accused refrained from speaking to the court. Nevertheless, the arresting police officer reported to the judge that the accused had denied the allegations when responding to the charge.
In a surprising move, the DPP has ordered that the accused be subjected to a trial by indictment at the Central Criminal Court. The judge observed that the accused did not reside at the address mentioned in the charge.
Judge Aylmer instructed the accused to comply with certain conditions. These include reappearing in court in September for the delivery of the prosecution’s book of evidence and granting of the order for trial return.
While there were no objections to the granting of bail, the accused was sternly advised to inform the police in case he changes his address, to stay reachable via mobile phone, alert authorities seven days prior to any overseas trips, and to avoid any interaction with the alleged victim or the witnesses.
At this juncture of proceedings, the court didn’t demand further evidence pertaining to the allegation.