Galway Advertiser 2009/GA_2009_02_19/GA_1902_E1_012.pdf 

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12 N E W S

www.advertiser.ie

February 19 2009

Judge refuses to close `shutters' on mother rape case
Teen accused of attempted rape of mother is warned to behave
BY MARTINA NEE "It's far too early to bring the shutters down," said a Circuit Court Judge before adjourning a case involving the attempted rape of a mother by her son. Although aware of the effect the case proceedings were having on the victim, Judge Raymond Groarke said that he would be "far from satisfied" to finalise matters as the teenager accused with the offence seemed not to truly understand the seriousness of what he had done. The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to assaulting his mother with intent to rape on September 16, 2006, at the family home in a Co Galway village. The case had been adjourned last November after the accused volunteered to attend for psychiatric treatment. Garda Michael O'Driscoll gave evidence that, according to the probation services, the accused had shown signs of improvement and that he had not come to the attention of gardai since. Garda O'Driscoll then said that the mother was in court and was "anxious to see a finality to the whole situation". When asked for his opinion on the matter, Garda O'Driscoll said that although he was "conscious of the mother's feelings" he believed that it would be "no harm for the court to have some hold over him" to see if improvements continue. Judge Groarke said that he too sympathised with the mother who "is the victim of this crime" but that he was not happy to finalise matters. Referring to evidence outlined to him last November he said that there had been "no peace in the family home as a result of the behaviour of this young man, his father, and his brother". "It's far too early to bring the shutters down on this case. He has a long way to go yet," said Judge Groarke, who adjourned the case to July 14 on strict conditions which include: that the accused attend probation services and counselling, that he take no drink or drugs, that he co-operate with services and gardai, and have no contact with his mother. The preparation of a probation report was also ordered.

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