Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

——preserved because of its different legislative history, although it used to be called indecent assault. However, it is interesting to note that sexual assault is not now the subject of any express defence. In 2006 we did not state that there is a defence of honest mistake in the case of sexual assault on a minor but just took the Supreme Court's decision at face value and stated that somebody accused of sexual assault must be entitled to raise the defence of not having a guilty mind——

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