'Justice is possible,' says Ciara Mangan after man jailed for raping her

Ms Mangan said she hopes her decision to waive her anonymity will give others the courage in the future. Picture: Collins Courts

A Mayo woman has said she spoke out publicly following her rape after being inspired by survivors who had chosen to do the same. 

Ciara Mangan waived her right to anonymity after Shane Noonan was given an eight-year sentence with the final year suspended on Monday. Noonan pleaded guilty to the rape of Ms Mangan at an address in Castlebar, Co. Mayo, on May 11, 2013. He has no previous convictions.

Ms Mangan said she hopes her decision to waive her anonymity will give others the courage in the future.

“I feel like we're not just a victim without a name, We're human beings and I felt like if I came forward and waived my right to anonymity, I can give someone out there the courage that maybe they need as well," she told RTÉ's Morning Ireland.  

"And just to show that justice is possible and I'm still here.” 

Ms Mangan is hopeful she “will learn to live with this”, allowing the events that happened a decade ago to “take up less space” in her mind, as she describes taking the brave step to visit Castlebar, the town where the event took place, alone for the first time in 10 years.

'Rape songs'

Noonan and Ms Mangan were both aged 18 at the time and were co-workers at a fast food restaurant. In the aftermath of the rape, Ms Mangan said she was subjected to “rape comments” and “rape songs” by colleagues in her then-workplace when the owner was absent.

"When I went to work, everybody knew I was raped, but I was trying to process it to be honest, it was all just a blur. I couldn't piece together everything properly,” she said. Ms Mangan described feeling “bullied” and “embarrassed”, thinking that her story would not be believed.

After 10 months, Ms Mangan confided in her parents, following news that her sister was to begin working in the same place. “My mom collapsed on the floor in shock and sadness, screaming for my dad to help and it was reported to the gardaí then over the phone.”

Two months ahead of her Leaving Cert, Ms Mangan felt she wasn’t ready to pursue the case within the justice system at the time, leaving her with “suicidal” thoughts as she was “trying to stay alive”, above all else.

"It was really hard, I mean the Leaving Cert is hard enough, but nothing compares to what I had to go through while I tried to sit my Leaving Cert.”

Ms Mangan recalled finding a letter she had written to Noonan as part of a “therapeutic practice”, which gave her the incentive to go to the gardaí. 

I was obviously scared and anxious, petrified, really. But I just felt like I have to do, it has to be done. I just needed justice.

The court heard during the case that Ms Mangan's parents were away, leaving her for her first weekend alone at home. She said she went to a party where some of her co-workers were present. She was handed an open can of Bulmers with a straw in it. She had some jelly shots and then a second can of Bulmers.

She said that halfway through the second can she felt weird and disoriented. Her hearing was muffled, she could not stand unaided and felt very sleepy. She had a memory of being sick and then being approached by Noonan. She felt he had made a beeline for her.

He tried to kiss her, but she pushed him away. He then demanded they go upstairs, which she refused. He said it again and seemed agitated and intimidating to her. She was scared.

She began going up the stairs but was very wobbly and Noonan guided her into a bathroom, locking the door. He told her to lay on the floor and raped her as she went in and out of consciousness.

Afterwards she saw him strapping on his belt, open the bathroom door and walk out, before she fell unconscious again. She later woke, vomited and had some relief from the illness she felt.

'Vindication'

When Noonan received his guilty sentence, Ms Mangan said she felt “vindication”.

“He took away my 20s. He destroyed my 20s. My life will always have its challenges because of this rape and he had no right to do that,” she said.

She said her mental health was “shattered” adding: “I won't ever fully recover, but I will learn to live with it." 

She added that she mourned the life that was taken away from her that night.

“The rape made me feel worthless, the way he left me on the floor. I felt like a pile of rubbish and it's such a disregard for someone else. I am someone's daughter, I'm someone's sister and to just dump somebody after a brutal rape like that, it's just horrendous.” 

As for her future aspirations, Ms Mangan wants “to live a happy life. I have not been so happy for 10 years”.

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