A SCHOOLBOY HAS been charged with raping a girl at a park in Dublin.

The boy, aged 16, appeared before Judge Treasa Kelly at the Dublin Children’s Court charged with two offences.

He is accused of raping and sexually assaulting the girl over two successive dates in 2020, when he was aged 15. He has not yet indicated how he will plead.

Directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions have been obtained.

The boy, who has the right to anonymity, will face a Central Criminal Court trial in relation to the rape allegation.

The Children’s Court has jurisdiction to consider accepting jurisdiction for the sexual assault charge.

This is provided for under section 75 of the Children Act which allows the juvenile some discretion to retain some serious offences.

A preliminary hearing is needed. It involves an outline of the prosecution evidence, followed by defence submissions in relation to the age and level of the defendant.

Judge Kelly adjourned the case until a date in April for the trial venue issue to be decided on the sexual assault allegation and for a book of evidence to be served on the rape charge.

The teenager was accompanied to court by his mother and his solicitor Brian Keenan. Legal aid was granted.

The boy has agreed to obey a number of conditions. He must not have any contact with witnesses, directly or indirectly.

The teen also has to stay away from a named location and obey a curfew.