Áras Attracta care worker cases to go ahead
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A judge has ruled that cases against five care workers who were covertly filmed while allegedly assaulting residents at the Áras Attracta care facility in Co Mayo can proceed.
Judge Mary Devins in Castlebar District Court said she was satisfied that there were prima facia cases to answer.
The proceedings were prompted after a report by RTÉ’s Investigations Unit on care standards in the Áras Attracta facility.
Each of the five care workers has been charged with one count of assault. A sixth care workers pleaded guilty to five assault charges and is expected to be sentenced this week.
Around 190 hours of video footage was filmed covertly between 3 November and 19 November 2014.
However, Judge Devins ruled that the prosecution can only call evidence relating to the dates on which the assaults are alleged to have occurred - 14 and 15 November 2014.
Defence lawyers attempted to have the case dismissed because of discrepancies in the video footage.
Judge Devins accepted there were differences between a master hard drive held by RTÉ and the copy produced for gardaí, but was satisfied that they did not give rise to specific or implied prejudice.
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