The Director of Public Prosecutions will accept guilty pleas from a man charged with raping two young girls in Athlone, Co Westmeath.
The 30-year-old has yet to be returned to the Central Criminal Court, but it has been confirmed that the signed pleas to all charges are acceptable to the DPP and the book of evidence is not required by the accused man.
The accused man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces a total of five charges - raping one of the girls three times and raping the second child twice in Athlone on 28 September this year.
The girls had been attending a birthday party in the area and the alarm was raised when they were discovered to be missing.
It later emerged that they had been raped at a nearby house.
At Harristown District Court last month the accused’s solicitor, Gearoid Geraghty, confirmed that his client had waived his right to the book of evidence.
He had indicated he would be pleading guilty to the charges when the case comes before the Central Criminal Court.
In Harristown District Court today Mr Geraghty advised Judge Geoffrey Browne that the DPP was accepting signed pleas in respect of the charges before the court.
The case is due for mention at Harristown District Court next month.
