RTÉ journo given 15months for sexually assaulting woman as she slept

wylo

The real problem here is that as a society (and the people who write our laws I guess) , we have become aware and enlightened with the knowledge that behaviour like this is wrong, on many levels. Its psychologically damaging, and obviously for some victims, life ruining.

What we haven't come to terms with is knowing how to react to incidents that go from almost innocent to mildly inappropriate to hugely inappropriate to all out assault and rape. The worst of the categories now seems to be applying to all cases. Obviously not literally, but in a sense that is whats happening.

I wonder how many months this guy would get in our courts nowadays:

I am sure there was a time in the last 50 or 100 years (or less) when the famous Paddy Jackson Rape trial would not have even went ahead.

Then there's the farmer who after his first time in a nightclub, was done for assault. I am in my late 30s, when I was in my early 20s that would have been considered bad behaviour, but behaviour that women were unfairly tolerating.

And now this guy, who carries out hugely innappropriate and creepy behaviour.

We need to keep our enlightened views, men need to know that this stuff is not good enough and cannot be done, ever. But at the same time we need a way of separating out the severity of these incidents so that more woman can come forward and get heard and get justice but also so that milder stuff gets punished without mens lives being ruined.

And anyone who does not acknowledge that there is a difference between this and an all out rape incident is talking out of their arse.

bigroad

Was she asleep or just asleep or waking a little.

This part is not so clear.

How does one prove different levels of sleep.

Why take a year to report this.

Did someone wind her up to report this when she was having a drink with her mates.

Hard to know it's not too clear.

The lad worked for Rte could this be a reason too.

anglesorangles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119395906#Comment_119395906

Low risk is not no risk. I think it should stop though, unless people know its kosher. I dont think it should happen and i very much think the numbers will even slightly decrease with more cases like this. Less sexual assaults.

Mike Murdock

vv

Bobtheman

The whole case was ludicrous given they had been engaging in sexual activity previous to that. It's happened a million times over.

He stopped when asked.

She had no issue being driven home.

Bobtheman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119391968#Comment_119391968

What he could have just plainly denied it?

uptherebels

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119395992#Comment_119395992

What does previous sexual activity have to do with anything?

Bobtheman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119391939#Comment_119391939

To be fair when he met her he didn't know she was thinking about a case? After the event

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119395984#Comment_119395984

There is no such thing as no risk in a probation report.

Combined with the probation report, the fact he had no previous convictions, cooperated with the investigation and how he acted after his groping, there is nothing to suggest this guy is a danger to society.

Patrick2010

Here’s a scenario…

boy meets girl, they start dating, they kiss on dates. One night boy decides it’s time to go a bit further and goes for a feel. Girl pulls away and says I didn’t consent to that and runs off. Next thing boy knows he’s being charged with sexual assault. What’s the difference between that scenario and this week’s case?

you could say that the guy facing jail had been given more consent since they had already been intimate that night

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396025#Comment_119396025

The girl in your scenario was awake.

Again this not a difficult case in legal terms, under Irish Law you cannot consent when you are asleep.

hynesie08

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396025#Comment_119396025

One night boy decides it’s time to go a bit further and goes for a feel.

If only there was someway he could find out if she wanted it to go any further, I assume in this case he's seeing a deaf mute who doesn't know how to text?

anglesorangles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396024#Comment_119396024

He pleaded not guilty though didnt he? That would worry me he thinks what he did was okay.

bigroad

Light was green at the start then the light went orange and he chanced it .

Then the light went red quickly so he stopped but he had crossed the line.

anglesorangles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396039#Comment_119396039

So many posters on the old thread kept giving examples where people werent asleep. Madness.

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119394619#Comment_119394619

I know. Horrible that people think it's ok to climb on top of a woman and grab their breasts when that woman is in no position to consent.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396061#Comment_119396061

He should have pleaded guilty. He probably wouldn't have got a custodial sentence. But it's his basic human right to a fair trial. You can't begrudge him that, although as stated it comes with pit falls.

BagofWeed

A perfect example of why you should never speak with the Gardaí. He seemed to be the naive type who believed the common but untrue saying of 'tell the truth if you have nothing to hide', and its landed him in jail, named on the media, on the sex offender's list and also the loss of his job. A lamb led to the slaughter.

His accuser took him to the dogs and and has destroyed his life for that ! She should be named herself so anyone else stupid enough to be near her could remove themselves from her company before she decides to do the same again. She clearly has mental issues going on in her life to be so nasty and vindictive.

bigroad

I would say he was told by legal that he would be ok and his friends in the high flying Rte stable.

But she was possibly better connected.

Very strange case the way it turned out .

Doesn't stack up.

JP Liz V1

Could the threads be merged please by a mod

JP Liz V1

Leave tits alone lads 😁

Faugheen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396104#Comment_119396104

Nobody is pestering anyone. It's asking for a ride. Nothing more, nothing less.

As I said, the fact you think my post is the issue rather than those who are flat out saying nothing was wrong here tells me all I need to know about what you really think. Those saying this isn't sexual assault aren't the problem, it's those who ask for consent.

Spare me your bullshit. You're completely out of your depth here trying to make me look like the bad guy while staying quiet at those who are apologists

What kind of weird behaviour is that, btw? Do you think it's ok for people to say this isn't sexual assault? Are you not horrified that that?

cap.in.hand.

I'd say she had her mind made up not to take part in anything sexual with him from then on before falling asleep so probably was a shock to her to wake up with him fondling her..but if she said "that's it now..no more" to him at some stage before going to sleep...at least it would set her boundaries while in bed together...he may be disappointed but it was her call as well... and he'd respect her wishes I'd think...but she didn't it seems now.

bigroad

What's going to happen here is more and more lads will turn to escorts and pay the few quid and no worries.

anglesorangles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396084#Comment_119396084

Yep of course its his right to a fair trial. The case was so shockingly cut and dry that I dont understand his why he went with not guilty. Probably a pride thing.

anglesorangles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396094#Comment_119396094

A perfect example why you should never sexually assault someone.

blacksea

One of those totally crazy cases.

What he did was no doubt wrong (not denying that part at all) but based on the different things presented in the media, it is really hard to understand how he deserved this sentence.

A lot could have happened between the event and the time it was reported. Did she actually recall the full sequence of events accurately a year or more later? When people replay specific events (especially perceived traumatic ones) repeatedly, people start adding little things to the story . This is quite common for witnesses of aircraft accidents for example. I hope it is not one of those cases here.

To be honest, I feel very sorry for both of them. She didn't deserve for this to happen to her and then to suffer for so long in her life after such an event, and he probably didn't deserve to have his life ruined in this way.

Jequ0n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396094#Comment_119396094

Dream on…she knows well why she didn’t waive her right to anonymity. Makes you hope karma exists

walshb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396061#Comment_119396061

He likleky thought what he did wasn’t at all as serious as what she and the courts were presenting.

Just because he pleaded not guilty doesn’t mean that he thinks there was nothing at all wrong with what he did. It’s a case of: “yes, I should not have done that, but is it really that serious to have me now in court facing a sexual assault conviction and possible prison sentence?”

So right to plead not guilty. Chap made an error of judgment that anyone (under those type circumstances) could make.

He then finds himself charged in a court of law with sexual assault, which carries a real nasty taste. I’d bet any man, in theses circumstances wound plead not guilty.

The woman waited a whole year. She fell asleep right after she told him to stop (which he immediately did). She was driven home by him, met him next day to discuss the previous night.

When you use common sense here it doesn’t add up that this man was charged, convicted and given a prison sentence.

It’s been said here: there could well be a case of malicious vindictiveness about this.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119396080#Comment_119396080

Your posting style is an embarrassment. Labelling other interlocutors ‘rapey’ because they have the temerity to raise an opinion is a dreadful approach to debate, and you should be ashamed of yourself.