A Mayo teenager has been jailed for five years for raping a then 15-year-old school friend in her house when he was 16 years old.
Luciano Friday (19), of Fortlands, Kiltimagh, who was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in April following a five-day trial, still maintains his innocence, claiming they had consensual sex.
Mr Justice Paul Butler said that while Friday would not be punished for still maintaining his innocence, he was not going to get any credit.
"Victims in these case go through hell in these cases and when innocence is maintained, it makes it much worse for them," he said.
He said he had read every word of the victim impact report which showed that the rape and assault had "a very dramatic effect" on her and continued to do so. He hoped that now that the matter was at an end, it would be of benefit to her.
He said that apart from the offences for which the jury convicted him, Friday came across as an otherwise decent human being from all that had been said about him, and the testimonials handed into court confirmed this view he had formed.
Evidence had been given that the victim had suffered "a serious degree of strangulation" and was in a very weak situation after the rape.
He said that if it were not for Friday's youth and that this offence had the appearance of a once-off rape, the appropriate sentence would have been in the region of eight years.