Courts / Dublin / Report
Woman sexually assaulted on couch in house shared with 12 others
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Lucas Da Silva Cruz, a 30‑year‑old Brazilian, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 23‑year‑old flatmate on 4 July 2019. The assault occurred while the victim was sleeping on a sofa in a three‑bedroom house shared with 12 others. Da Silva Cruz claimed the act was consensual, but the victim's impact statement described ongoing anxiety, sleepless nights, nightmares, anger, sadness and vulnerability, and her need for regular therapy. She also noted her pregnancy and gratitude for justice. Da Silva Cruz had no prior convictions, had resigned from his IT job after conviction, and was supporting his elderly mother in São Paulo. Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him to three years' imprisonment, back‑dated to 17 January, and placed him on the sex offenders register. The sentence was reduced from a headline four‑year term. The case highlighted the breach of trust and the victim's lasting psychological harm.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman sexually assaulted on couch in house shared with 12 others. Charges or matters: one count of sexually assaulting the woman on July 4, 2019, following a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial in January. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- July 4, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 17 Other
- 2025-03-10 Publication
Why: She had considerable expenses for medical attention and therapy and had suffered anxiety, sleepless nights, struggled to deal with lack of trust and couldn't tell her parents because of the impact it would have on them. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: one count of sexually assaulting the woman on July 4, 2019, following a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial in January (Proven)
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; She set a headline sentence of four years but handed down a three-year jail term and backdated it to January 17 last, for time spent in custody, before placing Da Silva Cruz on the sex offenders register.
Places mentioned
- Richmond Road
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Midlands Prison
Topics
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