'They knew I had said no': Woman raped by three men said she had not consented but 'they did not care'

From left: Anthony Hickey Matin Zolfaghari, and Fabio Vicente were convicted of rape and jailed. File picture: Irishphotodesk.ie

A woman who was raped by three men she met in a nightclub said there was an epidemic of gender-based violence in Ireland.

In February, Anthony Hickey, 39, Fabio Vicente, 42, and Matin Zolfaghari, 34, were convicted of raping the young woman in August 2019. They were sentenced to 15 and 13 years. The three men have lodged appeals against their convictions and against their sentences.

In an interview, Kate* said there should not have been any confusion, and she had not consented and added while the trial was a "really traumatic experience", she "did find the strength".

“They knew that I had said no, over and over again, and they just decided to ignore that for their own gratification and they forgot that there was a person and impact that would be attached to that because they did not care,” she told RTÉ on Wednesday.

“They’ve never cared, they’ve never shown me an ounce of respect. I think that what’s important is to know that every woman has a voice. I had a voice that night, I was so intoxicated that I was unable to physically protect myself. But then going through the courts was me having a voice to say, ‘I’m not going to accept that you think that you can do this to me or anyone else'.” 

Kate added for years she believed “women have been made to feel like we’re the problem.”

We have a responsibility to always watch our surroundings and always stay in a group setting, and do not drink too much. And while all of that is advice, that is not what the problem is. 

"It takes away from the focus being the problem is the predators and it’s the men out there that think they can take advantage of vulnerable people and vulnerable women,” she said.

Kate hoped the world would be a better place for her daughter and said it was the only thing that kept her going.

It comes as nearly three in 10 adults reported being a victim of some form of sexual violence while 5% of those said they were raped. Some 31% of Irish adults said they were extremely concerned about the issue of rape or sexual violence. Additionally, nearly half said they knew someone who had experienced sexual violence.

These figures from the latest Dublin Rape Crisis Centre study revealed widespread concerns about sexual assault and violence, the high prevalence of it, as well as significant challenges victims faced in reporting incidents as well as seeking support.

Some 71% of sexual violence victims say they did not report the incident to gardaí. Three-quarters added they did not seek medical treatment following the experience, while 59% said they did not seek counselling or support services.

However, while the study showed a high level of public awareness, it said there was a small but concerning cohort who “doubt claims by victims of sexual assault”. 

Some 20% believed false allegations were common. Another 11% thought “someone should not be believed unless there is a guilty verdict in court”, while 12% believed if someone did not report an incident to the gardaí, they “should not be believed”.

- If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please click here for a list of support services.