A statement by a woman, whose ex-partner was convicted of coercive control, rape and false imprisonment, has been described as a message of hope to others in similar situations.
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre CEO Rachel Morrogh said Lisa O'Meara's statement yesterday after her former partner Barry Murphy was jailed for 14-and-a-half years, was "powerful".
Murphy, of Shamrock House, Grogan, Ballycumber, was found guilty by a jury of three counts of raping Ms O'Meara.
The jury also found the 39-year-old guilty of coercively control, assaulting her, sexually assaulting her and falsely imprisoning her.
Outside court, Ms O'Meara urged other women in abusive relationships to "just leave" as she said "it doesn't get better".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Ms Morrogh said that Ms O'Meara has "added her name to the roll call of incredible women and men who have stood on the steps of the courts after the sentencing of their perpetrator, to let all of us know the measure of the man who brought such suffering and trauma to their lives."
She said the message Ms O'Meara gave was "one of hope, and everyone who heard her speak outside the court could hear that there was a light in her that Barry Murphy could not extinguish and hasn't extinguished.
"And this is what radiated from her message yesterday as she made that direct appeal to others who are experiencing sexual or domestic violence to seek support.
"Perhaps that message will be a rallying call to which women and men in similar situations respond."
Ms Morrogh said that "every single person experiencing sexual or domestic violence deserves support, and that starts with a first step, and maybe that is just telling someone else what is happening."
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She said if any person puts their hand out "we will grab it and pull you up because Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is open 24 hours every day [including] over Christmas, and there will be kindness and understanding and support for anyone who needs us."
Ms Morrogh said that the sentence handed to Murphy yesterday gives hope to other victims of such abuse.
"I think that it was a very significant sentence and it's the latest in a number of significant sentences that we've seen in the area of sexual violence. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre very much welcomes this sentence.
She said it sends a strong message not just to perpetrators who are levelling this kind of violence against people in the home, "but equally it sends a message to victims and survivors that if you do decide to go the legal route that justice will be served."
However, she said that the number of people who actually do go down the legal route "is incredibly small within the wider number of people who've experienced violence of this kind.
"I think that it's important to recognise that the legal route is difficult. It's not for everyone.
"And so the messages of solidarity and encouragement and hope that are given outside the court after guilty verdicts, connects with the silent majority of victims of sexual violence who will never have a day in court, but who are encouraged, and find strength when justice is served."
