Trinity Women in Law (TWIL) welcomed Natasha O’Brien to the GMB on Tuesday 11th February to receive the Praeses Elit Award. Among attendees was a film crew from RTÉ who recorded the ceremony. James Ryan, auditor of DU Law Society, opened the ceremony by introducing the award. Founded by former Irish president Mary Robinson, it is “given to those who have left an indelible impact in their chosen field”. Past recipients of the award include David Norris, Stephen Fry and Justice Aileen Donnelly.
James Ryan went on to introduce Natasha O’Brien’s achievements. “Miss O’Brien has brought the eyes of the entire country towards the courts’ deficient treatment of gender based violence, violence generally, and our outdated sentencing guidelines. It is for her bravery, tenacity and commitment that Miss O’Brien is nominated, and we can think of none more deserving of such an honour.”
The interview was conducted by TWIL Chairperson Ella Pidgeon, who shared, “At Trinity Women in Law, we believe that the law is not just a profession – it is a tool for change. And change comes when women like Natasha refuse to be silent. When they demand better. When they remind us that justice is not given freely; it is fought for.”
Natasha O’Brien has been an advocate for those who have experienced gender based violence within the Irish legal system when she was attacked by Irish Army soldier Cathal Crotty on 29th May 2022. On her way home from work that evening, Natasha bore witness to “extreme homophobic abuse”, as she shared with the GMB. She intervened, causing the abuser to direct his aggression towards her instead. Among the injuries Natasha sustained was a broken nose and a concussion lasting three months. “I was silenced; not for long – but I was for that night”, Natasha said.
Natasha took the audience through her journey with the Irish justice system, starting at the very beginning. Regarding her view of the Courts prior to the attack, she said “I suppose I lived with this false sense of security for the systems I assumed were working”.
Natasha shared how she felt she had no other choice than to bring her case before the courts, not just for her own vindication, but for the vindication of future survivors of gender-based violence. Natasha repeated the words she put to the Judge during the sentencing hearing; “This will be known to society, what your decision is today, and you need to make sure that you make the correct decision, and that you send a message that violent perpetrators will not be enabled, and that they will be held accountable.”
Throughout the two years preceding the sentence hearing, Natasha recalled feeling “left in the dark, in limbo, waiting for somebody to do something”. It was only five days before the hearing that Natasha was notified of it via phone call, and asked to provide a witness statement. “Ringing a victim five days before telling them – it’s really insensitive and it just doesn’t feel like the right procedure.”
Despite the Limerick District Court finding Cathal Crotty guilty of assault, his three year custodial sentence was suspended. As Natasha explained, this was “due to the fact that he had a position in the Irish Defence Forces, and if [the Judge] was to impose a custodial sentence, he would lose that position.” Natasha recalled how “more weight was given to the perpetrator’s job and career than to the victim’s life”.
Leaving the sentencing hearing, Natasha shared how she was “so filled with rage – and also devastation”. She spoke of how the Court sent an “insidious message” to Irish society that day, and perpetuated a culture of “constant leniencies, constant enabling of violence”.
In speaking of her experience navigating the legal justice system, Natasha described it as “stark”. The Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) does not liaise with survivors prior to trials, and in the case of Natasha, this led her to feel “ignored and worthless”. Natasha recalled how she felt like “a piece of evidence” as opposed to the victim of a crime, leading her to experience a form of ‘re-victimisation’ within the Courts.
Natasha expressed that, “incredibly unfair weight was given to mitigating circumstances such as his job”. Natasha highlighted how this points to the “deeply, deeply flawed system” at play in Ireland. “A loss of a job is merely a consequence of you committing the crime”
Speaking to The University Times, Natasha emphasised the importance of media coverage in her pursuit of justice. She described the media reporting of the case as a catalyst to the ultimate success she experienced.”I could not have gotten here without the public and the media, because the media is the reason that I have the public, and the public is the reason I have the media […] it’s very symbiotic”.
Public support was central to the ultimate successful outcome of Natasha’s case. As reports of the sentence hearing circulated online, public outrage increased. This outrage manifested itself in protests all over Ireland demanding justice for victims of gender-based violence. Nastasha described her case as “a case that shook the nation”. The goal of that initial campaign and of Natasha’s ongoing advocacy, is to “reach across the divide and say; just because this hasn’t affected you or anyone in your life – doesn’t mean it won’t. And if you don’t care now, you might find yourself in a similar position to me”.
In terms of the future, Natasha believes that, “there’s a lot of work yet to be done”. She spoke of how judges should receive sensitivity training and be trauma informed, and how the system should evolve to place the victim at the centre of every criminal trial. One reform Natasha suggested was that the DPP should liaise with gender-based violence survivors to integrate them into the justice process. “There is such a disconnect in our system between all the bodies that should be working together [..] but instead are so separate and isolated.”
A “system of silence” is how Natasha described the justice system due to her experience of the “unspoken rule”; that nobody may question the status quo. She believes that people must actively call out injustice when they see it. She expressed that “there may be so many consequences [to speaking out] – but you protect your integrity”.
The overarching message conveyed by Natasha O’Brien was that her experience is just one small step in the right direction; as of now, justice for victims of gender-based violence is still not guaranteed within the legal system. “Justice for one person is just a privilege, because justice is fair – this is not fair because I’m the only one with it”.
Natasha’s hope, dedication and ambition for change is evident as she continues her advocacy for justice in the Irish legal system.
