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"Years of work" building independence of Down Syndrome woman destroyed by rapist, court hears
Summary
During a sentencing hearing in the Central Criminal Court, the mother of a young woman with Down syndrome described how her daughter's independence—her job, travel and errands—was destroyed when Faisal Ellahi raped her. The mother, speaking via video link, recounted the victim's post‑rape symptoms: sleeping in her mother's bed, night terrors, seizures that later subsided but returned before the trial. She also read a victim impact statement expressing fear, confusion, anger and flashbacks, and lamented the loss of her daughter's future. Ellahi, 34, was convicted in December 2015 of rape, sexual assault and having sex with a mentally impaired person. He denied the charges, claiming ignorance of the victim's Down syndrome, and had no prior convictions in Ireland. The judge adjourned the case to consider mitigation and a possible partially suspended sentence contingent on deportation to Pakistan. The hearing focused on the impact of the crime, not on future outcomes.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Years of work" building independence of Down Syndrome woman destroyed by rapist, court hears. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- June 12, 2013 Incident
- 2016-01-18 Publication
Why: I can't go out on my own anymore because I am too scared. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; He told Ellahi's counsel that any prospect of a partially suspended sentence would be contingent on him agreeing to be deported to his native Pakistan on his release.; Mr Justice Hunt adjourned matters until next Monday to hear further mitigation on behalf of Ellahi and said he would finalise his sentence a week or ten days later.
Places mentioned
Topics
Sexual Offences Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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