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Garda Member Charged with Serious Offences in County Donegal
Letterkenny, County Donegal – January 22, 2026 – A serving member of an Garda Síochána, Ireland’s national police service, has been charged with multiple serious offences, including rape and child cruelty. The charges stem from alleged incidents occurring in County donegal between 2015 and 2022.
Details of the Charges
The accused, whose name is being withheld to protect the privacy of the alleged victims, appeared before Letterkenny District Court this morning. He faces two counts of rape, alleged to have taken place in 2021. These charges are brought under Section 48 of the Offences Against the Person Act, 1861, and Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) Act, 1981, as amended by section 21 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990.
In addition to the rape charges, the Garda member is also accused of three counts of child cruelty, spanning the period between 2015 and 2024.These charges allege wilful assault, ill-treatment, and neglect of a child, likely to cause unnecessary suffering or harm, and are contrary to section 246(1) and (2) of the Children Act, 2001.
Furthermore, the accused faces a charge of assault causing harm, alleged to have occurred between April 2021 and April 2022, violating Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.
Court Proceedings and Bail Conditions
Sergeant Maurice Doyle informed the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed that the case be transferred to the Central Criminal Court for trial. The accused was represented by solicitor mr. Robert Ryan.
Bail was granted under strict conditions.The accused must reside at an address approved by Gardaí,adhere to an existing safety order,maintain no contact – directly or indirectly – with the alleged injured parties,and notify Gardaí of any intention to travel outside of Ireland.