Woman arrested for UCD deception released without charge

A woman in her 20s arrested in connection with an alleged deception against University College Dublin (UCD) has been released without charge. The woman was detained on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 21, 2026, in Dublin city center and held at a Garda station in south Dublin before being released late Wednesday. A file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Gardai confirmed the arrest was for alleged deception contrary to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 against a third-level institution. Sources indicate the investigation relates to the suspected supply of a fraudulent document, understood to be a fake doctor's note, to the university. As part of the inquiry, officers searched a property and seized electronic devices, including phones and computers, for analysis. Authorities stressed the arrest was not related to an underlying allegation of assault but was a separate investigation into deception.

The case is connected to a long-running and high-profile situation involving a UCD medical student. The student has alleged she was raped by a fellow student in February 2023. She never made a formal criminal complaint regarding the assault,...