Limerick court hears young nurse 'feared' for patients in UHL after being raped by doctor

Louay Kila

A young nurse was left “constantly looking over” her shoulder after being raped and sexually assaulted by a doctor who was working in University Hospital Limerick, a court has heard.

Louay Kila, 31, a Moroccan national with an address at 61, Cois Luachra, Dooradoyle, Limerick, was found guilty of one count of rape and one count of sexual assault on Thursday, after the jury returned an unanimous verdict. 

Judge Sean Gillane told the Limerick Central Criminal Court he will sentence the accused on March 13.

Kila was arrested on March 26, 2024, charged with sexual assault in March 2024, and with rape in October 2024. He then was suspended from the register of medical practitioners in 2025.

Prosecuting barrister, Garett McCormack SC said the accused was at an apartment with his friends and friends of the young woman, after a night out in Limerick.

The court heard how she was asleep but woke up to the “sensation of a penis in her vagina”. She was left “in shock” and saw the accused when she opened her eyes. He left and came back a second time, then “penetrated” her “with more than one finger”, despite being asked to stop. A picture of the accused kissing the cheek of the young woman while she was asleep was sent on Snapchat.

In her victim impact statement, the woman, who used her right of anonymity, said she wanted the court to understand the lasting impact the defendant’s action have had on her life.

“The night I was raped and sexually assaulted by Louay Kila did not end there. It was the beginning of a daily struggle that I have endured for the last two years,” she said.

She detailed how she was working as a nurse in UHL, a role she had “wished for”.

“Since the assault I couldn't return to work on that ward as I was physically sick walking into the hospital after the incident. That changed my career. The career I had worked so hard for and had overcome so many obstacles to complete,” she said.

She said she was constantly looking over her shoulder – “hoping that Louay Kila wasn't nearby”.

She was offered a transfer. “I felt I had no option other than to take this as Louay was still working as a doctor in UHL.” Since, she was diagnosed with PTSD and put on antidepressants.

“I felt unsafe in places I shouldn't have to worry about, one being UHL,” she said. “I also feared for the patients of UHL. I feared something similar could happen to someone else and knew that I would be taking on the guilt of not having done enough if it did. I tried and the gardaí tried to consult UHL but to no avail.” 

She asked: "How could I possibly reassure patients of their care when I couldn't trust the doctor delivering that care?” 

Addressing the defendant directly, she said: “To my rapist, I stood up and I am holding you accountable for your actions and I got justice. I hope to be an inspiration for any woman who has dealt with an incident like this and encourage them to stand up and hold their rapists accountable. No matter what fear I felt or how difficult this process was I wasn't going to let you abuse me further by letting you get away with it.” 

She said she wants the court to recognise that the crime has also affected her health, livelihood, family life, potential relationships and her sense of self.

Counsel for the defence, Liam Carroll BL, told the court how it is a “difficult situation to stand here and try to suggest” that what his client has been convicted of “is not serious”. He added it is the “court’s job” to “place this offending on a spectrum”, that his client could “obviously” no longer work as a doctor, and has been in a form of “purgatory since”.

He asked the court to consider his client “has been frozen in time” and diagnosed with depression, and that there will be “catastrophic consequences for his career” and future.