Judge warns of ‘worrying rise in number of teen sex offence cases’

A JUDGE has said that there has been a ‘worrying rise’ in the number of sexual offence cases coming before the Children’s Court in the last 18 months.

Judge John O’Connor made the remarks yesterday while dealing with the case of a youth who admitted sexually assaulting a girl in a south Dublin park in 2017.

The youth, then aged 16, admitted groping the girl’s backside – but, despite pleading guilty, he later claimed she exaggerated, which the judge did not accept.

These offences have become ‘more common’ in the last 18 months, the judge said, while also calling for teenage sex offending awareness programmes.

‘There needs to be an awareness programme done in schools in relation to this. The reality is it is very difficult from the court’s point of view when dealing with abuse issues,’ said Judge O’Connor.

Extensive studies on risk management have found that teenage defendants who availed of treatment are almost on the same level as children and teenagers who have never offended, he also said.

The youth had pleaded guilty in July but later, in meetings with the Probation Service, he had disputed the girl’s account of the sexual assault.

The court had earlier heard that a group of youths had met up in a park on the day in question and the defendant, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had repeatedly touched the girl’s backside.

The youth, who had spent time in care, was accompanied to the hearing by a social worker. He did not address the court.

Defence solicitor Niamh Kelly asked the judge to note the youth had, on occasion, struggled to interpret non-verbal communication which was in line with the offence to which he had pleaded guilty.

He was co-operating with a treatment programme and the Probation Service, the court was told.

The court heard the youth had been left to ‘fend for himself’ from the age of 15 and consequently found it difficult to take direction from others. However, it was something he was working on, the solicitor said.

Judge O’Connor noted the boy did not like being told what to do having had to fend for himself and having had a ‘chaotic past’.

The judge warned that ‘there had to be 100% engagement with the services’.

The judge commented that since entering a guilty plea in July the youth ‘moves between regretting his actions and stating the victim is lying; you cannot have both.’

Sentencing was adjourned for an updated probation report on the youth. The case resumes in December.

A JUDGE says that he has seen a worrying rise in cases of sexual assault involving children in the past 18 months. Given all that we have learned about the effect of social media and smartphones in that time, can anyone possibly hazard a guess as to why?