Two Offaly cousins who had sex with a mentally handicapped woman have been released on bail because the Dublin probation and welfare service is understaffed.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the woman had a baby by one of the men, aged 55, who admitted to gardai he had sex with her several times, including in the vestry of a local church.
He and a 35-year-old man pleaded guilty to having unlawful sexual intercourse with the woman in 1997. The baby has since been placed in foster care.
Judge Frank O'Donnell remanded them on bail for sentencing in February. He had ordered that they be held in custody but was told by Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, prosecuting, that the Dublin probation and welfare service was chronically understaffed and was not supplying any probation reports. Judge O'Donnell said he had no option but to let them go home, where probation reports would be prepared.