Journalistic rules, as well as basic fairness and the right to a fair trial, preclude any specific comment on the case of a Brazilian illegal immigrant who was formally arraigned yesterday on very serious charges involving alleged attempted assaults on children in Dublin. The accused man is entitled to the presumption of innocence in that case, and to a fair trial.
What we are not precluded from commenting on, however, is his immigration status. Whether he is guilty or innocent of the charges he is presently facing, it was accepted by both prosecutors and the defence at yesterday’s hearing that he is here illegally, with no right to be in the state at all. That is a separate and distinct matter from the charges he now faces, and should be addressed in separate and distinct terms.
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