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Rape victim tells court that defence solicitor followed her on social media
Summary
In a Central Criminal Court hearing on 9 December 2022, a 22‑year‑old rape victim recounted that after her rapist, a 40‑year‑old Meath man, was arrested, his defence solicitor began following her on social media. She described the assault that occurred on 11 February 2007 while she slept in a friend's house, the years of anxiety and depression that followed, and her eventual decision to seek counselling and report the crime in 2017. The victim said the trial process intensified her distress, noting that defence counsel had suggested she was seeking money after the man's inheritance. She asked for an acknowledgement, explanation and apology from the accused, who denied the allegations and claimed she was lying. The judge adjourned the case for a further sentence hearing on 17 February, where mitigation will be considered. The unnamed woman was found guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Rape victim tells court that defence solicitor followed her on social media. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- February 11, 2007 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 17 Adjournment
- 2022-12-09 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; In her victim impact statement, which she read out in the Central Criminal Court today, the woman said that the day after her rapist was interviewed by gardaí, his defence solicitor started following her on social media. "For a defence solicitor to follow the victim of a crime is unprofessional and unethical," the woman told the rapist's sentence hearing.; She thanked the woman in the case for her dignified manner throughout the court process, telling her: "You absolutely should have been safe in your friend's house." The judge adjourned the matter for a further sentence hearing on February 17, when a plea of mitigation will be heard.
Places mentioned
- Central Criminal Court
Topics
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