Statutory rape law ruled unconstitutional

23 May 2006 21:53

The Supreme Court has unanimously declared unconstitutional the law under which any man is automatically guilty of a crime if he has sex with a girl under 15. The court made its decision on several grounds, including the failure to allow the defence that a genuine mistake had been made about a girl’s age.

7 currently in jail under unconstitutional law

24 May 2006 23:10

The Irish Prisons Service has revealed that there are seven prisoners currently serving sentences solely on the basis of a conviction for statutory rape. They were convicted under legislation which has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The law had made it an automatic crime to have sex with a girl under the age of 15.

Man freed as court rules detention ‘unlawful’

30 May 2006 16:19

The High Court has ordered the immediate release of the man known as Mr A who was serving a three-year sentence for the unlawful carnal knowledge of a 12-year-old girl. Ms Justice Mary Laffoy said his detention had been rendered unlawful by last week’s Supreme Court decision striking down the law on statutory rape. The court also found that it did not have the jurisdiction to continue to hold the 41-year-old in custody to allow the State to go to the Supreme Court.