Skip to main content
Thousands in Ireland protest the suspended sentence of a soldier who assaulted a woman
Protesters gather in Dublin in solidarity with Natasha O'Brien who was attacked by Cathal Crotty, a serving member of the Defence Forces, who walked free from court after he was given a three-year suspended sentence for attacking Natasha O'Brien, June 22, 2024

THOUSANDS of protesters in Ireland hit the streets on Saturday after a serving soldier was given a suspended sentence for his brutal assault on a woman in Limerick last November.

Cathal Crotty was given a three-year suspended sentence on Thursday for beating Natasha O’Brien six times until she was unconscious after she asked him to stop shouting homophobic abuse.

Mr Crotty later boasted about the attack on social media.

The 95th Anniversary Appeal
Support the Morning Star
You can read five articles for free every month,
but please consider supporting us by becoming a subscriber.
More from this author
Burkina Faso President Ibrahim Traore arrives to the Grand Palace at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on May 10, 2025
Features / 15 May 2025
15 May 2025

ROGER McKENZIE explains how Ibrahim Traore has sparked the flames of hope across Africa, while the Western powers seek to extinguish all attempts to build true sovereignty in the long-exploited continent

An Indian soldier drinks water as he guards after India and Pakistan reported no incidents of firing overnight, in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, May 12, 2025
World / 12 May 2025
12 May 2025
Similar stories
Edna O'Brien in London, 1971
Documentary / 17 April 2025
17 April 2025

A beautifully-crafted documentary from Sinéad O’Shea

Dockworker Meikysha Wright and others strike outside the Vir
World / 1 October 2024
1 October 2024
AGAINST BRAINWASHING: (L) Magdalen Laundry in Ireland, early
Appreciation / 6 August 2024
6 August 2024
FIONA O’CONNOR treasures the work of Edna O’Brien for the depth of evocation of psychologies, desires and losses among ordinary lives