Rape accuser ‘sent text asking friend for help’

A TEENAGE girl, who claims she was raped by a schoolmate two years ago, texted her friend saying ‘help help please’ shortly after the alleged incident, a court has heard.

The girl, now aged 18, broke down as she gave evidence on the first day of a trial at the Central Criminal Court yesterday. The accused man, aged 19, denies one count of rape and one of sexually assaulting the girl in a town in Co. Donegal on March 18, 2016. He cannot be named for legal reasons.

The court heard the girl, then aged 16, met the accused in a takeaway sometime around midnight after St Patrick’s Day celebrations. She told the jury she had known the boy as he was in the year ahead of her at school and that she had kissed or ‘shifted’ him at a house party three months earlier.

She said she was ‘quite drunk, very light-headed’ when she went into the takeaway with some friends. She said the accused suggested going for a walk and took hold of her hand after they left the takeaway.

The girl said he pushed her up against the wall and sexually assaulted her. She said she had made it clear she didn’t want this and told him so repeatedly. The girl broke down as she told the court the accused also grabbed her by both elbows, turned her around to face the wall and raped her.

Text messages were read out in court from the girl to a friend sent just after the alleged incident, saying ‘help help please’, ‘IDK (I don’t know) what to do’ and ‘there’s blood all over my hands’. Her friend texted her in reply to drink plenty of water, sober up and find people to go home with. ‘I have to sleep but if you really need me call,’ read one reply from her friend.

The court heard the girl walked back to the takeaway with the accused after the alleged assault, met a number of people and was very upset.

The trial continues.