Protesters gather in cities in solidarity with woman left unconscious by soldier

Thousands of people have gathered in protests across the country in solidarity with a woman who was viciously assaulted by an Irish soldier.

Protests were organised in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick after Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, walked free from court when he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Natasha O’Brien.

The 22-year-old, with an address at Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms O’Brien in Limerick in 2022.

Ms O’Brien has criticised the three-year suspended sentence handed down to Crotty, saying she feels let down by the judicial system.

Ms O’Brien attended the protest in Limerick on Saturday afternoon.

Speaking at the event, she said: “I am absolutely overwhelmed by your solidarity and your support. Without your outrage, your fear, your horror this would not have been looked at.

“What happened to me has happened to so many. The injustice of the Department of Justice.

“What happened to me was horrific and I experienced an extremely violent assault by the hands of a solider in the Irish Defence Forces, who are supposed to protect us.

“It’s one thing to be the victim of a heinous crime at the hands of a man who has pledged to protect the citizens of Ireland, but it is another thing when the Department of Justice and the Defence Forces overlook it.

“I did not put myself through that and bare my soul to Judge Tom O’Donnell to be told that I should be happy that he took the guilty plea, that I should be happy because he said he was sorry he was caught.”

There has also been criticism of Judge Tom O’Donnell after he told the court earlier this week that if he imposed a custodial sentence, Crotty’s army career would be over.

Large crowds gathered in cities on Saturday, with many criticising the suspended sentence.

Hundreds of people gathered at The Spire in Dublin city centre calling for an end to gender-based violence and for legal reforms in how the judicial system deals with gender-based crime.

Men, women and children of all ages carried placards calling for an end to victim blaming in courts and justice for Ms O’Brien and other victims of gender violence.

The demonstrators marched from The Spire on O’Connell street to the Department of Justice at St Stephen’s Green.

Ruth Coppinger, a spokesperson for the campaign group Rosa, said the entire country is outraged by the court’s decision.

Attending the protest in Dublin, Ms Coppinger said: “He pleaded guilty to the most brutal assault on a young woman, beaten into unconsciousness with years long impact on her life, her job, her mental health, and was given a suspended sentence.

“These type of cases are a daily occurrence in the court.

“One in three rape cases ends in a partial or full suspended sentence. So this is not unusual.

“People may be reacting in a shocked way and I think that this has come to light because Natasha spoke out and probably because he’s in the army as well.

“It has captured the imagination of people, but unfortunately, this is too regular an occurrence.

“We absolutely need dramatic change.”

Laura Fitzgerald, also from the Rosa organisation which organised the protests, said: “Women’s Aid this week reported the highest number of domestic violence disclosures in one year in 2023. That’s how wide spread domestic violence is.”

Campaigner and women’s rights activist Ailbhe Smyth said: “This will not be the only time that we will be standing here or marching through the streets of Dublin on the issue of violence against women.

“Quite frankly this is enough. We have had enough. We will absolutely not take anymore.

“We will not watch a young woman who has already been traumatised, injured who said I will not be the same again. How sad can that be.

“Her life was dragged through our courts but she was brave enough to stand up and say it must not happen again.”

People Before Profit TD Brid Smith said: “A few months ago I criticised a judge in the Dail and you would think the sky had fallen in.

“The Minister for Justice (Helen McEntee), the Ceann Comhairle, the Taoiseach all said ‘you can’t say that, you can’t criticise the judiciary’.

“I was dragged over the coals for it.

“To criticise a judge in this establishment is, to them, a mortal sin.

“They appoint them.

“And because they appoint the judges, we have to judge them and we will judge them at the next election and tell them they have had their day.”

Taoiseach Simon Harris was among those who praised Ms O’Brien for coming forward and speaking out after she was assaulted by Crotty.

Asked about the suspended sentence Crotty received, Mr Harris said: “I find myself precluded from being allowed to comment on the sentence of a court despite perhaps having quite a lot that I would have liked being able to say, other than let me say this – the legal process may not be concluded because it is absolutely always open to the DPP to appeal a sentence and also to appeal the leniency of a sentence.

“I need to be particularly careful in that context.

“But we are living in a country where there is still an epidemic of gender-based violence.”

In a statement on social media on Friday, the Irish Defence Forces said: “Any conviction in a civilian court may have implications for the retention and service of members of the Defence Forces, as stipulated in Defence Forces Regulations.

“Once due process has been completed in a civilian court of law, it becomes a matter for the relevant Defence Forces authorities in accordance with Defence Forces Regulations.

“We can confirm that these proceedings have commenced and as such, it would be inappropriate to comment further on this specific case.”