In the Central Criminal Court yesterday Mr Justice Carney described a teenager before him as a "convicted serial gang rapist" and sentenced him to six years' detention.
He unconditionally suspended the final two years of the term, noting that while his two co-defendants had opted for trial, the Dublin youth, now 16, had his case listed at the earliest opportunity to plead guilty.
Evidence was given that the defendant had been one of the ringleaders in the gang rape of two 13-year-old girls in Dublin. In one of the attacks the victim was beaten with a stick by a co-defendant, and in the other the victim had her hands tied behind her back, he said.
The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, admitted raping the two 13-year-old girls in September 1996 when he was 14.
Det Sgt P.J. O'Brien told Mr Michael McDowell SC, prosecuting, that the first girl had been subjected to chasing and violent behaviour by some boys, but she took it to be rough horseplay.
She had been slightly concerned by the behaviour, but there had not been a sexual element to it until September 1996 when she was dragged into a field by three youths, including the defendant, and raped. Another of the attackers beat her with a stick.
A week later the second girl was grabbed by two youths, her hands were tied behind her back and she was also raped. The offences came to light after the perpetrators, who were in the same school as the victims, bragged about the rapes. One of the victim's friends went to a teacher.
Mr Eamonn Leahy SC, defending, said his client wished to apologise to the victims and everyone he had hurt.
Mr Justice Carney said he had to take into account against the accused the nature of the offences and the effects on the victims. In the youth's favour were his age, his lack of previous convictions and his early guilty plea.