Gardaí expect formal complaint from girl in sex act video

Gardaí are awaiting the results of blood tests on a 17-year-old girl photographed and videoed engaging in lewd acts with two young men at the Eminem concert in Slane Castle, Co Meath, in an effort to establish if her drink was spiked.

While no formal complaint to the Garda has been made by the girl, sources familiar with the case expect a complaint will come as early as this week.

The images and videos have sparked debate about legislation governing social media and the recording and sharing of photographs and video footage captured on mobile phones.

The female teenager made a verbal complaint to gardaí working at Saturday's concert that she had been seriously sexually assaulted at the venue, though the timeline of what occurred is unclear. Her parents were contacted and they travelled to the concert.

Lewd act

Later that night, images and video emerged of her and a young man engaged in a lewd act. Within hours, other images emerged of the girl and a second male teenager.

The Irish Times understands the girl's complaint, made verbally to gardaí while in a distressed state at the venue, does not relate to the events depicted in any of the photographs or videos that subsequently emerged.

When she made that complaint she was taken into the care of gardaí at the venue. She has since been examined at a sexual assault unit.

Gardaí are reviewing the photographs and videos that have emerged and will also review the results of her medical examination. Blood tests were carried out as part of that examination and may reveal if her drink was spiked.

Facebook

In relation to the activity that was recorded, legal sources said while it was possible any party who engaged in a lewd act in public could be prosecuted, that could only happen if somebody who witnessed the act made a formal complaint.

Garda and legal sources said it was unclear if any laws had been broken by those who photographed or recorded what had taken place in public and/or later uploaded it on to the internet.

Gardaí have identified a number of people in the images that went viral on social media.

The initial video uploaded was posted on Facebook by a young woman.

Garda sources said while investigative work was being carried out, a formal criminal investigation would not commence unless and until the girl made a formal statement of complaint.