People have taken to the streets across the country today in solidarity with Natasha O’Brien following a national uproar.
The protests have been held in response to an Irish soldier who boasted about beating a woman unconscious in an unprovoked attack avoided jail time.
Cathal Crotty, (22), of Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, walked free from a court after getting a fully suspended sentence.
Crowds have gathered in numerous locations across the country to show their outrage over the judicial decision.
Protests began in Dublin at 1pm at the Spire and in Cork at 12pm on the Grand Parade – with another protest to occur in Limerick at 3pm on Bedford Row.
Photos posted across social media show the number of people who have attended to support Natasha.
Social media stars Keelin Moncrief and Michael Fry are amongst those in attendance and have expressed their support.
Social Democrat Councillor for Limerick City West, Elisa O’Donovan, took to X to describe the turnout at the protest in Dublin.
She wrote: “I can’t see the end of the HUGE crowd that has turned out in support of Natasha O’Brien here in Dublin.”
“The crowd is building every second all united that we MUST have justice for women that experience violence everyday in this country ❤️❤️.”
Similar sentiments were shared across social media as the protests continue throughout the day as outage from the public has only grown.
I can’t see the end of the HUGE crowd that has turned out in support of Natasha O’Brien here in Dublin. The crowd is building every second all united that we MUST have justice for women that experience violence everyday in this country ❤️❤️ pic.twitter.com/pIQE2JdkYf
— Cllr Elisa O’Donovan (@elisaodonovan) June 22, 2024
Two to put her down, two to put her out. End gender based violence.
Dublin is with Natasha O’Brien today #thisisnotjustice #cathalcrotty pic.twitter.com/Wuc3fWaOpt
— lizzie (@lizzie_hurley) June 22, 2024
Protesters have marched to the Department of Justice demanding justice for Natasha O’Brien pic.twitter.com/aGE8QEiTkV
— Jack White (@JackWhiteJ) June 22, 2024
Outrage has continued and grown in the days following the court’s judgement, with stars continuing to speak up.
Irish influencer Rozanna Purcell took to her stories to say: “Still wondering how the F**k they came to the conclusion a man’s career is more important than a woman or anyones safety.”
Yvonne Connolly commented: “The same judge,Tom O Donnell , let another thug walk free from court this month ,after pleading guilty to an unprovoked ,sustained ,brutal attack on a homeless man in limerick. Disgraceful.”
As Lucy Kennedy simply said: “Disgraceful.”
The 22-year-old serving Irish soldier, Cathal Crotty, initially tried to blame innocent victim, Natasha O’Brien, (24), by wrongly telling the gardai who arrested him that she instigated the attack at O’Connell Street, Limerick, on May 29, 2022.
However, after gardai showed Cathal the CCTV footage of him beating Natasha without any provocation, he admitted his guilt, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard Wednesday.
Hours after the attack the Irish soldier boasted to his friends on Snapchat about the heinous act.
Cathal said: “Two to put her down, two to put her out”, referring to striking Natasha four times.
Natasha, who was not known to Cathal, was walking home with a female friend after working a shift at a pub, when he violently assaulted her.
Cathal grabbed Natasha by her hair and punched her to the ground while continuing to hold her hair with one hand and punch her face with the other, the court heard.
Natasha, who sustained a broken nose, bruising, nightmares and panic attacks afterwards, said she thought Crotty was going to kill her during the attack.
“(He) held me like a punching bag almost… until I eventually fell to the ground.”
Natasha O’Brien describes how her attacker, Cathal Crotty (22), didn’t stop and she feared she would die. #TonightVMTV pic.twitter.com/cufgI4ZeLg
— TonightVMTV (@TonightVMTV) June 20, 2024
Cathal fled the scene when a male passer-by intervened, however his friends, who watched the full assault without intervening, remained at the scene.
It was told in court that Cathal decided to beat Natasha, of North Circular Road, Limerick, after she and her friend “politely” asked him to stop shouting “fa**ot” at other people in the street, the court heard.
In her victim impact statement, Natasha read: “My last conscious thought was, ‘he’s not stopping, I’m going to die’”.
Judge O’Donnell wished Natasha well and asked her if she understood “the significance” of Cathal’s guilty plea.
The 22-year-old’s guilty plea eliminated the necessity for a trial which would have compounded her trauma, and would have prolonged the case by approximately 18 months.
Natasha told the judge that while she understood this, she said she had already suffered the trauma of the attack, and “two long years of trauma” waiting for the criminal case to conclude.
The court heard that Cathal should remain a Private solider in the Defence Forces, based at Sarsfield Barracks, Limerick city.
His superior at the Limerick army barracks, Commandant Paul Togher, said that Cathal was an “exemplary”, “courteous”, “professional” and “disciplined” officer.
Judge O’Donnell said: “In fairness to him (Crotty), he has come to court and publicly admitted his wrongdoing, and he has made a public acknowledgement of his criminality,”
The judge went on to suspend the entire sentence and simply ordered Cathal to pay €3,000 compensation to Natasha without prejudice to any potential civil court proceedings.
Speaking afterwards Natasha criticised the sentence and said: “I lost my job because of his (Crotty’s) actions, because I was so impacted by what he did, but this judge doesn’t want to jail him because it will mean he will lose his job.”
“That’s not justice,” she concluded.
The ruling has caused national uproar and protests have already been organised all over the country for this weekend.
Rozanna Purcell has also shared the Instagram posters for the protests alongside the caption: “Can everyone please read this.”
“It’s absolutely shocking,” she continued as she used the trending hashtag “#westandwithnatasha.”
The posters read: “Solidarity standout with Natasha, Protest misogynistic judicial system,” “A violent soldier’s career placed above a woman’s trauma.”
The Irish public have also taken to the social media platform X to share their disgust at Judge O’Donnel’s ruling.
Appalled by this judgement & Irish Army’s part. In what place of work would the perpetrator not have been put on leave?Yet still working & got a glowing character ref?Judge & army believe a man’s career is more NB than a woman’s safety!Natasha O’Brien is braver than all of them https://t.co/4lZBqweDai
— clíona foley (@ponyyelof) June 21, 2024
‘When you enlist in the army, you take a pledge to protect the citizens and civilians of Ireland…
He used his special combat training on me.’Natasha O’Brien deserves justice and women deserve safety and this is not it @HMcEntee @defenceforces https://t.co/LBPrq0RVvd
— Dr Maeve O’Rourke (@maeveorourke) June 20, 2024
The Irish army should be ashamed of themselves. What sort of brutes are in our so-called defence force? Why are they so comfortable having violent women beaters in their ranks?? Why wasnt he booted out immediately? Is this normal for them? #NatashaObrien https://t.co/seqYGwcT7R
— WhatYouSay (@EricIsWrong4evr) June 21, 2024
The Irish army should be ashamed of themselves. What sort of brutes are in our so-called defence force? Why are they so comfortable having violent women beaters in their ranks?? Why wasnt he booted out immediately? Is this normal for them? #NatashaObrien https://t.co/seqYGwcT7R
— WhatYouSay (@EricIsWrong4evr) June 21, 2024
#DisgracefulSentence
This baby faced soldier viciously attacked an innocent, defenceless woman & gave her a terrible beating, boasted about it, then used his military career as his get out of jail card.
It’s unacceptable and it’s not justice.#NatashaOBrien you’ve been let down https://t.co/pEQi7Jty5v— TalentCoop (@TalentCoop) June 20, 2024
