AN IRISH MAN has had charges relating to an alleged sexual offence dropped in Argentina after offering ‘economic reparations’ to the woman in question.
The alleged incident involving the 20-year-old Irish tourist happened last Monday, 30 April, at about midnight in the city of Mendoza in the west of the country.
The man, who’s believed to have been in the company of relatives, allegedly encountered the woman, a vendor of dvds and cds, at the junction of San Martin Avenue and Peatonial Sarmiento, according to local news site Clarin Society.
The 27-year-old woman subsequently alleged that the man had touched her inappropriately from behind. She was in the presence of her children, and her husband, at the time.
She alleged that the men were drunk, although a subsequent alcohol test of the accused man returned negative, according to local reports.
Once the man had left the scene, the woman filed a police report against him, and he was arrested later that morning at his hotel.
Charges
It’s understood that the charges against the Irish man, which could have carried a maximum sentence of three years in prison, were dropped when he offered reparation of in the region of €3,000 (for the ‘moral damage’ caused) and an apology to his accuser.
The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it is aware of the situation and is providing consular assistance to the Irish family.
Local prosecutor Darío Nora, who has now released the Irish man but denied him leave to exit the country, is expected to try and establish whether or not the man has a criminal record in Ireland.
Reports suggest that the official ending of the case will involve the tying up of loose ends in court, with a judge requested to officially move to acquit.
Until that happens, the man, who had to pay a personal bail bond of 10,000 Argentinian pesos (about €380), is expected to appear at the prosecutor’s office once a month.
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