Dozens gather in Cork to express their solidarity with Natasha O'Brien 

A young woman who saw a serving soldier who beat her unconscious walk free from court in Limerick last week has said she is willing to meet with Justice Minister Helen McEntee to discuss measures to tackle violence in Ireland.

Cathal Crotty, aged 22, of Parkrose Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, appeared before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court recently, where he received a three-year suspended sentence for his unprovoked attack on Natasha O’Brien. 

The assault occurred on O’Connell Street in Limerick on May 29, 2022.

Yesterday, upwards of 60 people gathered outside Washington Street Courthouse in Cork to show solidarity with the 24-year-old.

Earlier this week Ms O’Brien criticised Ms McEntee and said that she “wouldn’t need to speak out” if the minister was doing her job “correctly”.

Safer

Yesterday at a human trafficking conference in Cork, Ms McEntee offered to work with Ms O’Brien to ensure changes are made to make women feel safer in Ireland.

“We need to change the attitudes which underpin so much of the behaviour that we have seen,” she said.

“I will do whatever I can — I will work with Natasha and I will work with other victims to make sure that whatever further changes we need to make will be made.

“There is a problem still — this is an epidemic, and we need to acknowledge that.”

Speaking at the Rosa-organised protest, Ms O’Brien said additional efforts need to be made to eliminate all types of violence in Ireland.

“It is a systemic issue that I want to tackle,” she said. 

“I want to focus on the legislation and the sentencing law that allow what happened to me to happen. Preventing victims from wanting to come forward because of how bad things are. This needs to change.

“Absolutely I am going to be looking at legislation and what I can present to McEntee. I will talk to anyone I can. I am not particularly happy that I have to do this, but I am happy that I am doing it.

“It has been a crazy week. I have been all over the country. I do now want to sit down and put a plan in place in legislation to bring forward to Minister McEntee and the Taoiseach to change this.”

Voices

Ms O’Brien said whilst she is the person speaking up, thousands of ‘voices’ in the country are behind her cheering her on.

“It hits home to everyone because this is a systemic issue that starts at the very top and it is a problem that has been going on for a long time,” she said. “I was just able to bring that raw emotion to the story. I didn’t think a single person would listen to that video. But I am here now, and I have been given a purpose.

“I don’t want to live in a kind of world where this thing continues. I am all action now. This is about moving forward. We have turned something heartbreaking into a positive. This is a driving factor in a turning point in society.”

Incensed

Meanwhile, Zyro McHugh, 17, said that she decided to attend the protest because she was incensed by what she read about the case.

“I am very angry. This keeps happening in our country and it needs to stop. We need to be out here making a change”.

Michael Murphy, 17, who attended alongside Ms McHugh, said that it was important to be “proactive” about gender-based violence, as people really care about what is being inflicted on the likes of Natasha O’Brien. Another attendee, Mary Villiers, described Natasha O’Brien as being an “amazing” woman.

“She is only 24 and she is standing up for all women who can’t walk [safely] in the streets of our city,” she said.