A man with cerebral palsy alleged in the Central Criminal Court yesterday that he was raped and threatened with death in his flat last year. Asked to point out his alleged attacker, he looked at the accused man, smiled and, raising his hand in a salute, said: "Hi."
He claimed the man had pressed a large bread-knife to his body and repeatedly said: "You are going to die tonight." The man also kicked and slapped him.
Earlier, the jury was told the accused man, who is in his 20s, told gardai he had been sexually abused when he was younger by the alleged victim. He claimed also the alleged victim was wearing nothing but a jacket when he called to his flat in the early morning. He denied the rape allegation.
The man has pleaded not guilty to rape, sexual assault and assaulting the alleged victim, occasioning him actual bodily, in his home in Munster on March 20th, 1997. The jury was told the case went for trial two weeks ago but ended on the first day for legal reasons.