'I couldn’t let this monster get away with it’: How I survived rape — and sent my attacker to prison

Paula Doyle was raped by a man she had known for years. It took five painful years for the case to come to trial, but she was determined to fight for justice

Paula Doyle speaking to the media at the Criminal Courts of Justice (CCJ) on Parkgate Street in Dublin after the sentence hearing of Aidan Kestell. Picture: IrishPhotoDesk.ie

It was Paula Doyle’s best friend who suggested that her husband walk her home. This was a Friday night in September 2019, and Ms Doyle, then 46, a mother of five, had been at their house for a family party. She had helped clear up at the end. It was 1am and she was the last to leave.

She lived close by — three streets and a small stretch of park separated their Dublin houses — and in the past, she would have thought nothing of walking it alone. However, for more than three years, she had been receiving messages from an unknown number. They had started relatively harmlessly (“I’ve seen you around … I’d love to get to know you”) but escalated to graphic images and videos.