Newborn baby rape accused is from the Republic

A MAN arrested for the alleged rape of a newborn baby in the North is from the Republic, it has emerged.

The case has sparked revulsion across the North and appeals for calm from the police who are trying to prevent the accused being identified online.

The PSNI is working with gardaí to collect background information on the man, who is from a border county.

The 25-year-old was charged at Armagh Magistrates Court last Tuesday with the rape and assault of a child.

He didn’t apply for bail and was remanded at Maghaberry Prison following the hearing.

The accused man is due to appear before Newry Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday via videolink.

Meanwhile, the two-week-old infant remains in intensive care at the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, suffering serious injuries following the alleged assault.

The infant was first treated at another hospital in the North before being transferred to Belfast.

The alleged incident took place in Co. Down on September 29, and the baby is believed to be from the area.

The PSNI of the Newry, Mourne and Down district have warned social media users not to name the accused man online after news of the incident resulted in widespread public anger.

The PSNI said that it had ‘deleted several comments’ relating to the issue which were ‘threats’ or ‘completely inappropriate’.

It asked the public to ‘let justice prevail’ in what it called ‘an extremely emotive incident’.

‘This little one needs justice,’ the police wrote. ‘Justice will not be able to be fully served if social media comments spiral out of control.

‘Naming the suspect will give their defence counsel an opportunity to taint any future jury trial.’

It added that reporting restrictions meant that online commentators may face prosecution if they reveal the man’s identity.