Two teenagers found guilty of forest sex attack on girl in Kerry

The pair – who cannot be named and are both teenagers – were found guilty of a combined total of six charges.

These included the sexual assault of the woman, who was in her mid teens at the time, at an isolated location in rural Kerry in the early hours of July 26, 2020.

On Tuesday morning, following more than nine hours of deliberations, the jury said it had reached a unanimous verdict on six of the eight charges that the men had been accused of.

The first defendant – whom the trial heard had been in an “on off relationship” with the victim prior to the attack – was found guilty of a single count of rape and three counts of sexual assault including oral rape.

The second defendant – who did not know the victim prior to the night of the attack – was found guilty of two counts of sexual assault.

The jury told Mr Justice Michael MacGrath that they were unable to reach a verdict on the final two charges.

Those were a second accusation of rape against the first accused and a third charge of sexual assault against the second accused.

The trial heard that on the night of the attack, the victim had been drinking in her home with her best friend and a number of other people when she was contacted by one of the accused, who was in the vicinity and wanted to meet.

The victim – who said she was “really drunk” – and her friend subsequently met the two accused men in a clearing in a forest near her home.

After some time had passed, the victim said she was taken a short distance down a forest path, where the two accused men sexually assaulted her and forced her to perform sex acts on them.

The victim said that during the attack the two men were “laughing” and that she was “switched around” between them.

Mr Justice Mac Grath adjourned sentencing in the case until March. The first accused was remanded in custody to Cork Prison.

The second accused – who is still a minor – was remanded to the Oberstown Child Detention Campus.

Both will have their names added to the sex-offenders’ register.

The two charges on which the jury could not reach a decision will be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who will decide if a new trial should take place.