Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to hear that the Taoiseach is willing to work with all of us because Natasha said to me that the experience of the courtroom was more traumatic for her than even the attack itself. I find that a shocking scenario for a young woman in any era but in a time of enlightenment when we all agree that we have an epidemic of violence against women and that we have to adopt a zero-tolerance approach, this is the lived experience of this woman. She said to me that the system, if I can paraphrase, is ass about face and that the concern for the victim simply is not there. There clearly is a problem within our system when this young woman is told to be grateful for the fact that there was a guilty plea. Really? Two to take her down, two to knock her out - concussed, broken nose, a potential brain bleed and the rug pulled from under her. There was the trauma of that - her friend watching on, others finding this to be a bit of craic, filming it and putting it on social media and this guy gets a suspended sentence. Really?

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