Dublin gang rape victim tells court she was used like 'an object' by 'three complete strangers'

Eimear Dodd

A woman who was raped by “three complete strangers” she encountered in a Dublin nightclub said the men preyed and took advantage of her, treating her as an object.

In a powerful victim impact statement, the woman said the three men were “complete strangers” who “watched my movements, and took advantage of me and used me and my body as if I was an object that they were entitled to”.

Anthony Hickey (39), Fabio Vicente (42) and Matin Zolfaghari (34) were convicted last month following a trial at the Central Criminal Court. They had pleaded not guilty to offences which took place in a car and in a Dublin house on August 31st, 2019.

The three men do not accept the jury's verdicts, the court heard.

Hickey, of Ballyogan Square, Carrickmines, Dublin 18, was convicted of raping the woman in his then address in Dundrum, and of orally raping and sexually assaulting her in a car.

Vicente, of Little Newtown, Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, was found guilty of raping the woman in the car and raping her in Hickey's then-home.

Zolfaghari (34), of Marley Court, Rathfarnham, Co Dublin, was convicted of the oral rape of the woman in the house. The jury found him not guilty of sexually assaulting her in the car.

Reading her statement on Monday, the woman said she had been a “young woman in my 20s who loved fun”, describing herself as “joyful, fearless and carefree”.

She said this changed after she was raped by the three men, that they robbed her of her freedom, her own body, and her love for life.

“Not knowing what these men looked like protected me in some ways, but for months on end, I would think every man who looked at me could be them.”

She said she exists in a heightened state of fear, and while she used to find the good in everyone, “you turned me into someone who thinks that everyone I meet is a threat and is capable of what you were capable of”.

She outlined suffering with anxiety, flashbacks and nightmares following that night.

She said until the trial, the men were “faceless monsters”, and she asked for a screen to protect her mental health so as “to not have to see your faces”.

But, she said “that protection and right” was “robbed from me when I had to endure hours of CCTV with your faces and behaviour played back for me on a loop”.

She said she “internally screamed” at the screen for someone to help and to change what happened, but that is impossible.

“I know your faces now. And I will look at every single one of you when I say – this is your fault”.

“Every victim at one stage thinks it’s their fault. Why did I stay out?... Why could I not stay out to dance and get home safely?

“Because of you – you who waited and preyed and took advantage... You not only raped me, I found out during the trial you violated me in another way. You videoed raping me.

“You sent around these videos and laughed about me saying ‘no’. You laughed because you didn't care, and you have shown no remorse from the second you entered into these courts.”

Later in her statement, the woman said the criminal process is long and daunting, adding “then you get to the courts and your character is obliterated”.

She told the men that they made a choice that night to hand her a life sentence “all for the sake of a laugh” and “because boys will be boys”.

“I don't believe you will ever be remorseful for what you did to me,” she said, adding that “the only bit of light I have from this trauma is knowing that I brought you to justice and that makes this world a better world for my daughter”.

Karl Finnegan SC, prosecuting, told the court that the Director of Public Prosecution's view is that this falls into the highest category of sentencing of 15 years to life imprisonment, due to the circumstances of the case and the gravity of the offending by the three men.

Hickey has 10 previous convictions, including one for assault causing harm for which he received an 18-month prison sentence in 2013. Vicente has one previous conviction for a road traffic offence, while Zolfaghari has no previous convictions.

Before the accused men were brought into the courtroom, a large number of family members and friends were initially in court to support them.

Mr Justice Paul Burns noted that the men were entitled to some support, but the court didn't want the victim or her family “feeling intimidated or overawed by the sheer number of people in the courtroom”.

The courtroom was then cleared, with two supporters remaining for each man.

Defence counsel asked the court to consider their clients' personal circumstances and testimonials submitted on their behalf from family members, friends, clients and others.

Hickey is a personal trainer and has two children.

Vicente is from Portugal and served in the military there for four years before coming to Ireland in his late 20s. He has worked in pub security, as a personal trainer and part-time as a stripper.

Zolfaghari has two children and is the director of a restaurant.

Defence counsel also suggested that the case falls into the sentencing category of 10 to 15 years.

Remanding the three men in custody, Mr Justice Burns adjourned the case to March 27th next, when he will impose sentence.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.