Justice Minister Helen McEntee has praised Nikita Hand for her “bravery”, “determination” and “leadership” in the wake of her victory in her High Court civil action against Mixed Martial Arts fighter Conor McGregor.
Ms Hand had alleged she was raped by Mr McGregor in December 2018, and the jury in the civil case found in her favour.
Ms McEntee said: “I just want to commend Nikita for her bravery, for her determination, and the leadership that she has shown in what has been, no doubt a very, very difficult time for her and indeed, for her family. We need more women coming forward.”
The Fine Gael Minister added: “It is so important that any victim of domestic or sexual violence knows that when they come forward they’ll be listened to, they’ll be supported, and that help is there.”
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Ms McEntee also said that during the trial many organisations that support victims and survivors have reported increased numbers of calls.
“The number of people coming forward for the first time has increased, and that can only be a good thing,” Ms McEntee said. “We have an epidemic of domestic and sexual violence in this country. There is no doubt about that.
“But because of wonderful people like Nikita I hope that it shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that there are supports available to people, and that there is justice at the end of the day. We also need to reflect and use this moment to ensure that it’s not just about the justice system, but that society as a whole needs to wake up to this.
“We need to focus on not just zero tolerance in our courts but also in our society, and we need to change the attitudes which underpin so much of this kind of behaviour.”
The High Court jury awarded €248,603 in damages to Ms Hand against Mr McGregor after finding she was assaulted by him in a Dublin hotel. Mr McGregor has said he will appeal the finding.
Ms McEntee also acknowledged that the case “may go to another stage”, adding: “So I don’t want to say any more, but I think it is very important that her voice was heard, and I commend her sincerely for that.”
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Simon Harris said he spoke to Ms Hand on Saturday to “thank her for her incredible bravery”.
He said: “I wanted to make sure that she knew how much solidarity and support there was across this country for her bravery.
“I also wanted to make sure she knew of what the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre had said yesterday that so many other women had come forward in relation to their own experiences of sexual abuse as a result of Nikita’s bravery.”
He said Ms Hand’s “voice has made a real difference in a country in which we must continue to work to get to zero tolerance when it comes to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.”
He said he did not want to say much more “because I’m conscious there could be further legal processes” but he wanted to commend Ms Hand for her courage.
Mr Harris was asked by reporters on Saturday if the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) should review the decision not to prosecute Mr McGregor.
He replied: “I need to be careful of what I say here because we do live in a country that rightly and proudly has a distinct separation between the political system and the independence of the Director of Public Prosecutions and that is appropriate.
“There obviously structures in place where the DPP can meet a victim and outline to them their reasons for not taking a case but there’s also always an opportunity for the DPP in any situation – and I speak broadly in relation to this – to review a decision, to consider any new information that may come to light.
“I don’t want to say anything that may ever cut across the ongoing work of the DPP.”
Tánaiste Micheál Martin paid tribute to Ms Hand “for her extraordinary courage and bravery – this was not an easy case at all to take and I think she demonstrated incredible courage which I hope others might be in a position to follow – it was difficult and it was traumatic”.
Mr Martin said the case highlighted the need to inculcate values in young men, in particular, around respect and consent and this has to be worked on consistently through the (RSE) Relationship Sexuality Education Programme in schools.
Labour leader Ivana Bacik said addressing “gaps in Ireland’s criminal justice system” would be a priority for her party should it be in government after the election.
“The thoughts of us all are with Nikita Hand on the news of the outcome of her case yesterday. “Recent incidents relating to violent and gender-based crimes have reminded us all of the flaws in the system. For many years I have highlighted the need to address issues in the justice system when dealing with domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.”
Ms Bacik added: “While a practising barrister, working in criminal law, I saw first-hand how ill-equipped aspects of our criminal justice system are to address the reality of violent crime, and of gender-based violence. We know that victims feel let down by the system. The lack of supports available can reinforce negative attitudes towards victims and survivors of gender-based crime”.
The DPP previously decided not to recommend criminal charges against Mr McGregor.
There is a difference between the standard of proof to which a case must be proven in criminal and civil trials. The proof must be beyond reasonable doubt in criminal trials. In civil trials the standard is “on the balance of probability”. When the DPP decided in 2020 not to recommended criminal charges against Mr McGregor, Ms Hand sought an explanation.
In response she was told her case had been assessed in the office and the advice sought of a senior counsel, leading to the decision that the evidence did not support a reasonable prospect of Mr McGregor being convicted.
Ms Hand asked for a review and one was carried out. The review, by the DPP, upheld the original decision,
On Monday the socialist feminist movement Rosa, which argues that the DPP’s criteria for prosecuting sexual violence is in question, is set to protest outside the DPP’s office.
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