Soldier suffered years of trauma after sex assault, court told

An army private who was sexually assaulted by a fellow soldier has told the court she has suffered four years of trauma from the incident, failing to bond optimally with her baby, living in fear that her attacker will return and requiring counselling.

Earlier this month a four-man court martial board found her attacker guilty on one count of sexual assault and two counts of behaviour prejudicial to good order and discipline in the defence forces.

The court heard evidence that the attacker had crouched by the bed of his victim, who was resting in her uniform in a dark room, and placed his hand on her left buttock, moving it toward her anus. The court heard she had turned, jumped up and remonstrated with him.

The defendant had claimed the first he recalled of the incident was when he found himself dressed in his boxer shorts and standing two feet from the defendant’s bed when the light came on and a third member of his duty party asked him what he was doing. The defence claimed he had been suffering from side effects of the anti-malaria drug Lariam at the time.

Neither the victim not the defendant may be named to protect the identity of the victim, the court martial judge Col Michael Campion ruled.

This morning in a pre-sentence hearing the victim told the court she still has nightmares about the incident which she said happened four years ago. She told the court that following the incident she suffered from depression and felt as if her world had been turned upside down.

She said she had trouble sleeping and her sister had to move in with her as she kept “replaying that night”. She said she didn’t like being alone and some days had “to drag myself into work” where she was forced to avoid contact with her attacker.

She was also critical of the legal process and the handling of the case by the defence forces, saying she was told very little until she met prosecuting counsel Comdt Fintan McCarthy about one year ago. She said she felt “let down by the long delay” in bringing the case to court martial and had missed out on courses and overseas duties as a result.

She said requests from the defence for her medical records had caused her great stress and she didn’t feel she had bonded optimally with her baby daughter due to “negative energy” around the process.

The woman told defence counsel Gareth Humphreys she felt let down by the way the case had been handled. She agreed with Mr Humphreys that she was engaged in a civil claim against the Defence Forces in relation to the case.

The woman also told Judge Campion no reason had been advanced for her lack of access to army courses and overseas duties.

Judge Campion then adjourned the hearing to allow parties to consider reports from army social services on the defendant.

The case is expected is adjourned until July 14th.