Beaten, raped, terrified: One brave woman recounts the worst night of her life

It was the kind of radio that made you late for an appointment. Ailin Quinlan recounts former senator Niamh Cosgrave’s shocking ordeal as told to 'Today with Sean O’Rourke'.

FORMER Fine Gael senator, Niamh Cosgrave, wasn’t concerned when she was woken in her bedroom by a tap on her shoulder.

The village of Chef Bouttone in western France is so quiet and neighbourly that residents leave their doors unlocked, even at night — that was one of the reasons why Cosgrave, a hepatitis C campaigner, had moved there eight years ago, following her divorce.