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BreakingNews.ie
30-07-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
13,000 people accused of sexual offences not prosecuted by DPP in last 10 years
13,000 people accused of a sexual offence were not prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in the past decade. The new figures released under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that the DPP pursued around one third of sexual offence files submitted to it by gardaí. Advertisement The figures show just over 6,300 suspected sex offenders were prosecuted out of over 19,600 accused people. Insufficient evidence was listed as the main reason behind the majority of the decisions not to prosecute. However, there is a relatively strong conviction rate for people who were prosecuted, with about three quarters of cases in the past decade resulting in a conviction, in either the District, Circuit, or Central Criminal Court. Rape survivor Ciara Mangan said the figures show the "gruelling" effort, and evidence needed to get a case to court in the first place. Advertisement "The first thing that I said when I got the call that they had decided to prosceute I said to my garda liason officer: 'Oh my god, they believe me'." "But she said: 'They've always believed you'. "So I think that's really important, the narrative to really instill is that this is not that they don't believe you, it's just that there was unfortunately not enough evidence to go forward." If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help.
BreakingNews.ie
06-05-2025
- BreakingNews.ie
Armagh All-Ireland winner Aidan Nugent appears in court accused of sexual assault
A former Armagh GAA captain has appeared in court charged with alleged sexual assault offences. Aidan Nugent, 30, of Cullyhanna Road, Newtownhamilton in Co Armagh, appeared in the dock at Armagh Magistrates' Court sitting in Newry on Tuesday morning. Advertisement He faces four charges relating to an incident involving a woman on November 17th 2024, during a trip involving Armagh GAA to Miami in the United States. The charges include two counts of sexual assault and two counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent. In court on Tuesday, a detective constable said he believed he could connect the accused to the charges. Wearing a light blue jumper, navy trousers and trainers, Mr Nugent confirmed his name and date of birth before indicating that he understood the charges put to him. Advertisement The court heard that initial contact was made between the complainant and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on November 19th. Mr Nugent was contacted by police on December 10th, and attended Banbridge PSNI station for interview. He was also interviewed on March 31st before being charged on April 14th. His solicitor Patrick Higgins said during police interview, Mr Nugent told officers that the 'only sexual activity that occurred was consensual', adding that he denies the allegations. District Judge Anne Marshall heard the case and said police bail should continue with one condition, that Mr Nugent should have no contact with the complainant. Advertisement The case is to be mentioned in court on June 3rd. The trip to Miami by the wider Armagh GAA came after the senior men won the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship title in July 2024. If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at or visit Rape Crisis Help.
