Midlands trial the 'stuff of one's worst fears', says Dublin Rape Crisis Centre CEO
Marcos Vinicius De Silva Umbelino who was convicted of sexually assaulting the woman by groping and molesting her on the journey. He was also convicted of raping her at Harbour Road. Picture: Collins Courts
A trial that saw four men convicted of multiple sexual assaults on a teenage girl in the Midlands has been described as "a terrible case" by the CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
Noeline Blackwell said it was the "stuff of one's worst fears".
Yesterday, a jury convicted four men of a range of sexual assaults on a teenage girl in a car six years ago.
In the early hours of the morning of December 27, 2016, the then 17-year-old girl got into a car with five men after she became separated from her friends at the end of a night out in Tullamore, Co Offaly.
She asked for a lift to a place in the county but instead the car drove along backroads towards nearby Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath.
During this journey the girl was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a number of men, who groped and molested her.
Justice Tara Burns remanded the four defendants in custody to a sentence hearing on May 30 next and ordered the preparation of a victim impact report for that date.
Speaking on RTÉ's today, Ms Blackwell said it was a "terrible case" and added that there was a "long delay between the time that the offence has happened and the court took place".
She said that the trouble for the young woman "is that from the time she was in her mid-teens until now she's had to hold every single piece of this evidence to the forefront of her mind".
Ms Blackwell said the woman had to "remember every single piece of about it so that five years later, she could come to court and talk about things that she must only want to forget and that she will need to put behind her in order to cope with the rest of her life".
She added that "we have to be glad that we do have a justice system that recognises and prosecutes rape and non-consensual sex."
When asked if the system is now providing better support, Ms Blackwell said that things are "starting to change, but far too slowly".
She said that in sexual offence trials, "there is that difference that you cannot get on with your life in the same way you would if for instance, your car was stolen or your house was burgled".
She added: "Undoubtedly, the justice system is beginning to recognise the horrific nature of sexual offence trials for victims," but Ms Blackwell said it is all happening "very, very slowly".
Yesterday, Justice Tara Burns thanked jurors for their attendance and said she was excusing them from jury duty for life due to the harrowing nature of the evidence.
She told the victim she was a “very, very brave young woman”.
The judge said she was “beyond impressed” with how she had conducted herself with “absolute dignity” during the trial.
She said she hoped this portion of her life could be put behind her.
- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.
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