Rapist on the run

A Brazilian man who raped a 23-year-old Limerick woman is on the run.

He was convicted on January 26 but the judge freed him on bail, telling him to come back in five weeks for sentencing.

His victim and the Limerick Rape Crisis Centre want Judge Paul Carney to answer some questions - namely why a foreign national was given a five-week opportunity to flee the country.

“I was disgusted when he was given bail after the jury found him guilty. I just could not believe it. He had the past four or more weeks to be able to see what he wanted to do,” his victim said in an exclusive interview with the Irish Examiner outside the Central Criminal Court yesterday.

“What else was going to go through his mind? I couldn’t believe he was given this time to think what he would do. A guilty rapist was allowed out onto the streets by the judge. I spent more than a year waiting for the trial and it has now come to this. He fought it, but I wasn’t going to let go.”

Since the trial, the victim and members of her family have seen her rapist in Limerick on different occasions.

A bench warrant was yesterday issued for Brazilian Adriano Kiel, aged 27, who has an address at The Grange, Raheen, Limerick.

Under his bail conditions he was to sign on daily at Henry Street Garda Station. However, it is understood he stopped signing on eight days ago.

“There is something radically wrong and somebody has to answer for this. If something does not start changing, nothing will happen to rapists. It is still hard enough to know that he could still be around and I could bump into him. I am now living in fear, because he could come at me as I don’t know where he is.

“I came to court today just to see him being led away in handcuffs, but instead he could be in the next street. The judge has let me down as well as other women who have been raped and should explain himself. Somebody needs to talk up,” the victim said.

The jury took just over two hours to return a unanimous guilty verdict on January 26, following a seven-day trial.

Judge Carney could not be contacted for comment last night.

However, a well-placed legal source in the Four Courts said: “Mr Justice Carney has on many occasions set out his reasons for granting bail in such circumstances. He has stated that he does so, not in ease of the guilty person, but rather to facilitate the probation services and legal representatives in preparing reports for the sentencing hearing.”

Judge Carney did not elaborate on January 26 as to why he was releasing Kiel.

The director of the Limerick Rape Crisis Centre, Ingrid Wallace, said she was appalled Kiel was allowed back on the streets.

“It seems we are beating our head off a brick wall. Here we are in the Rape Crisis Centre trying to get the message to women to report rape to the gardaí. Then something like this happens, a convicted rapist being allowed out when he knows he faces a substantial sentence. It bothers and troubles me. He is convicted and now gone. Does he ever have to pay the price?

“The victim is going to pay the price for the rest of her life,” she said.