A BRAZILIAN student has been given a three-month suspended sentence and a €600 fine for an "elaborate hoax" in which she claimed she had been raped by two men.

Thais Regina De Oliveira, who had been living at Cabra Park in Dublin, pleaded guilty to making a false statement to officers at Mountjoy Garda Station on August 25 last.

She claimed two men attacked her and gave a detailed description, leading to a 12-day manhunt, a photo-fit being distributed and technical examinations.

Judge Anthony Halpin described her crime as wicked, heinous and depraved and he said these offences deter real victims from coming forward.

However, he ruled that a jail sentence was not appropriate.

He praised the "outstanding work" of Detective Garda Kevin Keyes and his colleagues at Mountjoy Garda Station saying their response to the incident sets a precedent.

Irish Independent