A woman who was raped by three men she encountered at a nightclub has spoken of the intimidation she faced in court and how she feels that she has protected other women by giving evidence against the men.
Earlier this year Anthony Hickey (39) from Ballyogan in Carrickmines, Fabio Vicente (42) from Enniskerry in Co Wicklow and Matin Zolfaghari (34) from Marley Court in Rathfarnham, were convicted of raping the young woman in August 2019 and sentenced to terms of 15 and 13 years. All three convicted men have lodged appeals against their convictions and against their sentences.
In an interview with RTÉ the woman (named Kate to protect her anonymity) said that despite the intimidation she had faced in the courtroom and the men’s lack of respect and remorse, she had used her voice to show them she would not accept what they had done.
Kate outlined how she had been out socialising with a friend in Dublin, dancing in a nightclub. Her friend decided to go home at 1am but Kate stayed on thinking that she could link up with other people they knew.
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After her friend left she remembered dancing, having a “basic conversation” with a group of males in the nightclub, her memory then became hazy and fragmented.
“I remember dancing, staying on for a little while, and then it’s more so the journey and the car, and... I remember being abused in the back of the car by one of the men,” she said. “I remember the car pulling over and at the time I thought it was a taxi driver and I remember him coming around to the back and opening the door and unzipping his trousers and I knew I was going to be assaulted again and I felt paralysed, wasn’t able to move. The next memory I have is being in the house so I just remember being upstairs and kicking someone off me, trying to kick and not being able to really lift my legs or arms.”
“I feel so lucky that I had a tiny bit of percentage left on my phone. So I tried to order a taxi and it took a while to get one confirmed and as soon as I did I just ran,” she added.
When she returned home she told her friend that she had been raped, but that she didn’t want to deal with it.
However, her friend called the Rape Crisis Centre.
“If she hadn’t done that, I honestly, I don’t know if I would be here, honestly, and then in February 2024, I got a call from the detective to say that three men had been charged, that was really overwhelming, it’s just, I suppose, had been so long, and I felt a mix of emotions, I felt validated.”
Kate explained that when the case went to court she gave her evidence behind a screen “because I wanted to protect my mental health.”
However, once the CCTV footage was shown, of which she had no forewarning, “I had to watch hours of not just their faces and what they looked like, but their behaviour on loop.
“It’s really uncomfortable to watch yourself on screen, intoxicated and dancing and being silly.”
It was obvious from looking at the footage, she said, that the three of the men had been coordinating a plan.
“They kept a very close eye on me. One was always watching. One was in and out of the club, like they were organising, I don’t know, a transport or something. ”
Kate said that the atmosphere in the court was extremely challenging and she was cross-examined by three barristers for three days, to be plunged back into the trauma of what happened.
A detective told her about the video clips that had been circulated about her assault by two of the men.
“It was probably the most upsetting part of the trial for me. One, to know that that happened without my consent, which is in itself a crime. Two, to the communication between the two men and how they laughed about me saying no and then he (the detective) told me that I said no several times in the video.”
To have said no several times, and for them to continue the assault and to laugh had been “dehumanising, it’s humiliating”, she said.
On the day on which the judge gave his verdict there were 25 people in the courtroom for the defendants.
“It was like a circus.” Kate said she felt very uncomfortable and wanted the lawyers to bring up the matter with the judge, but when Mr Justice Paul Burns came out he limited each of the men to just two supporters.
Kate added that there was no question that there was an epidemic of gender-based violence in this country. There should not have been any confusion, she had not consented.
“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 didn’t care. 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 has since married and has a daughter which she said has given her “purpose”.
“I think for years, women have been made feel like we’re the problem. We have a responsibility to always watch our surroundings and always stay in a group setting and don’t drink too much. And while all of that is advice, that’s 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 that they can take advantage of vulnerable people and vulnerable women. But men are part of this conversation. my husband, all the amazing men in my life. This has opened so many conversations for me.”
Kate concluded by saying that she hoped the world would be a better place for her daughter. That hope was the only thing that kept her going. “I hope for true equality.”
