Teen 'sexually assaulted' while separated from friends on night out died of heart attack

The family of Aaron Bride, who was allegedly sexually assaulted in 2021, have spoken of their devastation after the charges against two alleged attackers were dropped following his death in July

The devastated family of a young man allegedly sexually assaulted on a night out before his untimely death have spoken out following the collapse of a trial.

Aaron Bride, who identified as trans but used male pronouns, was 19 when he was allegedly sexually assaulted by two men in Dublin after he became separated from his friends while out socialising in the city centre on August 9, 2021.

Two Eastern European men, who cannot be named were arrested and charged with rape. They were released on bail and set to go on trial later this year, but Aaron tragically died of a cardiac arrest in July and his family was informed the case would not proceed. The case had been adjourned late last year and earlier this year.

A nolle prosequi was entered by the Irish Director of Public Prosecutions on October 15, meaning the trial would no longer happen and the charges were dropped.

Aaron’s sister Gwen McAuley have spoken out about the case and shared their frustration over how courts handle sexual assault cases. Similar concerns have been raised in the UK, where official crime statistics published in July this year indicated just 2.6 percent of rape offences result in a charge.

Speaking to The Irish Mirror, Gwen said they did not understand why the director of Public Prosecutions could not proceed with the case. She said: “Aaron has just been massively let down by the system. I don’t think it was right that the two men, who had no ties to Ireland, were released on bail and allowed to walk freely on our streets. After what happened, Aaron was suffering so badly from anxiety that he was afraid to leave the house. He was more of a prisoner than they were.

“Before it, my brother was full of life. He was the life and soul of any party. He lit up any room. He was the baby of seven of us so you can imagine how spoiled rotten he was. He was a normal 19-year-old who loved socialising with his friends. But he just hit rock bottom afterwards.”

In 2021, the Dublin District Court was told Aaron was allegedly incapable of consenting and had been pushed into an alley. Detective Garda James Campbell said the alleged sex attack lasted four minutes, that it was "captured on CCTV" and that a third man filmed it. The court heard claims Aaron was pushed into a fire exit alcove of a building in the alley, where he was forced down onto his knees.

The court also heard a passing patrol car saw the alleged incident and intervened. One suspect was detained at the scene while another was arrested following a foot chase. The solicitor for the men told the court that they maintained the encounter was consensual and that they had no previous convictions.

Gwen, who has seen the CCTV of the alleged attack, explained: “He was very drunk. You can clearly see from the footage Aaron cannot put one foot in front of the other. He’s swaying all over the place. The CCTV shows three men coming up behind him. I can’t understand why they could not take it to trial. They had the CCTV, they had the footage which was recorded on a smartphone and they had the testimony of three Gardaí."

Gwen said her family had met with officials from the Director of Public Prosecutions earlier this month. She said the officials explained that the case would not proceed without Aaron because the accused’s defence would try and get the CCTV dismissed and Aaron’s statements thrown out because he could not be cross-examined.

Aaron's mum Jackie said the trial should have gone ahead earlier in line with initial plans. “Aaron would have got justice had it not been for the delays," she said.

She explained: “Aaron could not get on with his life because he had this hanging over him. Everything was basically on hold. We got a date in December of last year - which was more than two years after the men had been charged.

“Aaron built himself up for it but we were then told it couldn’t go ahead because there weren't enough judges and courtrooms available. He was devastated. It was adjourned until April and the same thing happened. On both occasions, the prosecution and the defence were ready to go. The entire process needs to change. When we went in December, the courtroom was like a cattle market - it was hectic.”

Jackie also said the pair “felt intimidated” and said "it’s such a horrible experience”. She also said Aaron was told he had to be in the courtroom to give evidence and could not do it via video link, which is usually reserved for "special cases" the family say they were told.

She added: “Nowadays, there are so many extra people in the country. Everywhere you look, people are calling for extra Gardaí to keep the streets safe. But the guards are stopping people, they’re arresting people.

“Then, they’re going to court but there’s no point because you’re not going to get a court date and you’ll keep being told to come back in a month or two months' time. There is nothing in the system that is working. It’s just letting everybody down.”

Gwen and Jackie called for sexual assault cases to be prioritised, for evidence to be given via video link if requested and for cases to be tried in the event of an alleged victim passing away.

Gwen said: “We only decided to go public after the system failed Aaron. We want things to change for the better and we will do this in Aaron’s name.”

Chief Executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Rachel Morrogh, said delays were unfortunately common in cases of alleged sexual violence. She told The Irish Mirror: “We provide an accompaniment service for people who are reporting to Gardaí or waiting for their case to come to court. We see first-hand the burden that repeated adjournments and delays places. While efforts have been undertaken to reduce delays in the justice system, there is still a long way to go.”

The Director of Public Prosecutions said it "does not comment on individual cases".