Natasha O'Brien

Yeah, hello, Ciarán, how are you?

Good.

Yeah, no, I was... It's really stark.

You know, I was definitely shocked, to say the least, you know, just really disheartened as well, you know, because I've personally put so much work into advocating against violence in society and asking the justice system and the government to act, to put in preventative measures and rehabilitate and, you know, provide substantial rehabilitation and, you know, send...

messages to society through the justice system and it's just not happening.

It's still not happening.

And the lengths I personally have to go to to get justice for my own violent assault and everything Cuiva was saying about being too afraid to report and then I've spoken to so many victims that have reported and have been shunned by the justice system or victimised further so it's a serious, serious issue.

But I also agree that, you know, there probably is a level of under-reporting still going on, definitely.

You know, because this is 28 a day.

That's only the women that are brave enough to come forward and report it.

You know, but I remember when I first came forward and, you know, spoke about my own case, the government at that point were urging victims to come forward and report violent crimes.

And I was kind of annoyed by that because I'm saying...

why are you asking us to come forward and report it when you're not actually doing anything when we do?

You know, like, you know, I went forward, I reported it.

And when I did, I ended up in court and my perpetrator was

was spared a custodial sentence because his job was more important and all this stuff like and obviously I saw it through and I you know pushed through an appeal and got that overturned and saw him get a custodial sentence but like at what end you know and you know is that really what we have to do just to ensure that we're safe on our own streets and you know I personally came for it because I just felt like it's not acceptable that I walk down my own street and I'm attacked you know and nobody should that shouldn't be happening but you know

But I think the main, the core of it is that our government are not acting sufficiently.

Our justice system is time and time again protecting the perpetrators and victimising the victims.

You know, we see it all the time.

We see suspended sentences.