A woman who was raped at a house party in Co Mayo ten years ago has said her hope is that from today onwards each day will be that little bit better, as the court jailed the man convicted of the rape.
In her victim impact statement, 28-year-old Ciara Mangan said that the attack left her feeling degraded and tarnished and that taunts in the aftermath of the rape were "absolute hell on earth".
"On the 11th of May 2013, my life and my family's life changed forever. I always say that the moment I was raped, my soul left my body. Part of Ciara was stolen, changed, damaged, hurt and destroyed. I will never be the same Ciara I was before the rape. I will never get my late teens and 20's back. They weren't for anybody to take and destroy, but they were."
However, she went on to say: "Today I can proudly say that I survived - but not without immense suffering and an extremely difficult road."
"I can only hope that especially from today onwards, each and every day will be that little bit better and easier than the last for my family and I," she said.
Shane Noonan, aged 28, of Castlehill Park, Turlough Road in Castlebar, Co Mayo, pleaded guilty earlier this year to the rape of Ms Mangan at the house party ten years ago.
He was jailed today for seven years for what the judge described as the "cold, predatory and premeditated" rape of a work colleague as she drifted in and out of consciousness on a bathroom floor.
Ms Mangan told the Central Criminal Court she had felt suddenly unwell after being handed an open can of cider at a party on 11 May 2013.
She said Noonan made a "beeline" for her, guided her upstairs and raped her in a bathroom.
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In her victim impact statement, Ms Mangan described how before the rape she was "an ordinary, happy, outgoing and bubbly girl".
"I had good friends in school, strived to do well in school and just overall enjoyed my life. I enjoyed going to my friends' houses and hanging out or going to the cinema, spending quality time with my family, going out for dinner and lunch etc. I did many extra-curricular activities."
However, Ms Mangan went on to explain that she was reluctant to go to the house party in question as she would not know many people there. In the end, she was persuaded to go.
"Little did I know that that decision would change my life and my family's life forever," she said.
After being handed an open can of cider at the party, she said she began to feel weird and disorientated, her hearing was muffled, she felt sleepy and had a vague memory of vomiting.
"Within approximately one to one-and-a-half hours of arriving to the house party I was raped by Shane Noonan.
"The rape was aggressive and I had little to no energy or strength to defend myself or stop it from happening. Despite saying no, it still occurred.
"My body and mind were so weak and I just couldn't stop myself from falling asleep or most likely, drifting into unconsciousness. I felt lifeless."
In the aftermath of the rape, Ms Mangan told the court she was subjected to "rape comments" and "rape songs" by colleagues in the restaurant when the owner was absent.
She said this was "absolute hell on earth" and she began to doubt herself because her colleagues "found it funny and a source of entertainment".
"I felt confused, embarrassed, disregarded, bullied, stressed, overwhelmed and that I wouldn't be believed," she said.
Ms Mangan explained how she struggled to cope after the rape and how it led her to withdraw from her studies.
She said she did not tell her parents what had happened until her younger sister was about to start work in the same restaurant.
"I was petrified of my sister working with Shane Noonan. I couldn’t take it anymore, I was so overwhelmed and was falling apart. My mum found me crying alone while trying to study and I told her that Shane Noonan from work had raped me.
Her mother "fell on the floor in utter shock and sadness, screaming and crying for my dad in the other room".
"That was a day my family and I will never forget. That was the moment my whole family was thrown into complete panic, distress and upheaval. We have never been the same as a family since.
"The rape was then reported to the gardaí. I felt unbelievable relief. Like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders," explained Ms Mangan.
However, in the following years Ms Mangan suffered with mental health issues.
"The past ten years have been beyond tough for me and my family. I fell into a deeper depression and suffered with anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks and suicidal tendencies/thoughts as a result of the rape and was put on medication for this, all of which I still take today.
"As a result of being raped, I feel so unbelievably degraded, tarnished and violated. There hasn't been a single day I haven’t thought about the rape and it’s a heavy load to carry," she said.
Ms Mangan described how her life and those of her family members "have been on hold for a few years".
"However, my family and I are all very grateful to have made it here today.
"Today I can proudly say that I survived - but not without immense suffering and an extremely difficult road. I was given a life sentence the day Shane Noonan raped me and I have to live with this pain for the rest of my life.
"I can only hope that especially from today onwards, each and every day will be that little bit better and easier than the last for my family and I," she added.
Ms Mangan went on to thank gardaí in Castlebar and the staff at the Rape Crisis Centre for their support.
The Chief Executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said the 24-hour helpline has already been busy today with people contacting them for the first time.
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, Noeline Blackwell said: "We certainly do know that one of the ways in which people feel a sense that they can say something is after these cases, people will relate to the stories they will remind them of their own event."
Helplines are available here, if you have been affected by issues raised in this story.
