The State has officially withdrawn both charges against a failed asylum seeker who was accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in the care of Tusla near the Citywest Hotel complex.
The case relates to alleged incidents at Citywest, Saggart, the former hotel and golf resport which accommodates international protection applicants, on 20 October 2025.
It was previously reported that the accused’s application for international protection had been refused and that he was subject to a deportation order.
Judge Nolan agreed to discharge the man from the indictment. The 27-year-old was ordered released from custody, and the trial date was vacated today.
The decision was made by the prosecution, but no official reason for why the charges were dropped has been made public so far.
The accused had previously been sent forward for trial on two charges. Both counts related to the sexual assault of a child.
Both charges against the man were withdrawn through a nolle prosequi, a formal discontinuance of prosecution.
During an earlier court hearing in December 2025, the man was reported to have told gardai that the girl said she was 18 and that he had “just kissed her.”
The allegations sparked protests outside the Citywest complex in October last year, which escalated into violent disorder.
More than 30 people were arrested.
Citywest had become a focus of local opposition to the State’s plans for the site, with demonstrations organised in the months before the incident amid what locals described as safety concerns.
The former Citywest Hotel complex was acquired by the State for accommodation purposes in August 2025 at a cost of €148.25 million.