State should provide home security systems for stalking victims, says Cork survivor

The psychological and emotional toll required therapy and medical appointments, while the perpetrator had access to free psychological and educational supports in prison, Laura O’Connell said

Laura O'Connell was told that activating a suspended sentence, were Sonya Egan to reoffend, would take months. Picture: Larry Cummins

Home security systems, including CCTV, should be provided by the State for stalking survivors, a Cork woman who survived a prolonged campaign of harassment has said.

TDs and senators can claim up to €25,000 for home and office security systems. However, no such financial supports exist for victims and survivors — many of whom have already incurred major costs as a victim of crime.

Laura O’Connell was almost ruined financially while suffering harassment at the hands of Sonya Egan, who was also jailed for harassing former Sinn Féin TD Jonathon O’Brien, social workers, a solicitor, and a senior garda.

Egan, formerly of The Lawn, Lios Cara, Kileens, in Co Cork, was released from prison in late August, and Ms O'Connell said she believed her harasser would offend again. Yet, there appears to be little to no protection for her victims, she said.

Ms O'Connell met justice minister Jim O’Callaghan last week to discuss victim supports.

“My first question to Mr O’Callaghan was: What protection do I have? 

“Psychologically, I'm left with that anticipation anxiety," she told him.

Victims incur endless financial as well as psychological costs, Ms O’Connell said.

She was charged some €26,000 in legal fees while trying to get an injunction against Egan and against Facebook — a platform Egan was busily spreading lies on.

Due to the slanderous false rumours spread about her, Ms O'Connell had to close her successful business. The psychological and emotional toll required therapy and medical appointments, while the perpetrator had access to free psychological and educational supports in prison, Ms O’Connell said.

Victims also often feel they have to move home to escape, she said.

Ms O’Connell is calling for a panel to be urgently established with human rights experts, legal experts, and survivors to devise supports for victims.

She wants to see five supports introduced for victims by this time next year.

These should include State-funded security systems and free psychological support for victims, she said.

Despite a €5m increase to victim supports in Budget 2026, along with brilliant charities working in the area, the supports are not enough, she said.

'Pathological liar'

Egan was sentenced to three years in jail, with the last year suspended, for crimes against Ms O'Connell and former TD Jonathan O'Brien in June 2022. 

However, she was subsequently sentenced to four years in jail in May of 2023 after she pleaded guilty to making false allegations, including of rape and sexual assault against three social workers, a solicitor, and a senior garda.

The judge described her as a “pathological liar” who nearly “destroyed the lives” of a senior garda, solicitors, and social workers after making serious false allegations against them.

Egan was released at the end of August and is under Probation Service supervision. Since her release, one garda liaison officer has been appointed to assist her victims.

Although Egan is still serving the suspended parts of her sentences, Ms O’Connell was told that activating a suspended sentence, were she to reoffend, would take months.

“It would be faster to go to the district court and get a civil restraining order," she said.

Civil restraining orders were only introduced in 2024, so they did not exist when Ms O’Connell was being stalked by Egan. Then, her only option was what turned out to be a hugely expensive and ineffective injunction, she said.

Civil restraining orders were introduced last year under Part 5 of the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023.

Eve McDowell and Una Ring, the founders of Stalking Ireland, campaigned for such changes.

"Why does it always take victims to campaign for change? So many female victims are the ones really campaigning for and working for change, when they should just be able to focus on their own recovery," Ms O'Connell said.

“I personally should be focusing on my own life right now, protecting myself, recovering, and healing from the trauma of all of this. I shouldn't have to put my efforts and energy into campaigning.

“And by stalking victims standing up and campaigning, it is putting me in the firing line for Sonya to come along and target me again, or the far right to come along [groups of whom she said harassed her before] and target me again, or I'll be trolled again.

“I don’t think people working in justice really understand the trauma of all this, the psychology of it.”