Rape survivor Ciara Mangan: 'That was the moment the shame left me and he took it into prison with him'

Ciara Mangan waived her right to anonymity in the case against rapist Shane Noonan

Ciara Mangan: 'Now, I just want to put this behind me, if I can. I’ll never forget it. But I feel I do have a brighter future now. I know I’m going to be happy.' Picture: Michael Donnelly

“When he pleaded guilty, it felt like I took my first breath,” Ciara Mangan said after the man who raped her was sentenced to eight years in jail, with the final year suspended.

“It was like something left my body. That was the moment the shame and the guilt left me and he took it into prison with him. That’s what vindication felt like for me. It was the transferring back of the shame onto him finally, after so long.