It's been a life-changing year for 24-year-old Limerick woman Natasha O'Brien.
The victim of a serious assault by a then serving member of the Defence Forces on the streets of Limerick city centre on 29 May 2022, nobody had ever heard of her until the court case involving her assailant reached Limerick Circuit Court last June.
Cathal Crotty, of Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, attacked Ms O'Brien and left her unconscious on the street, after she asked him to stop verbally abusing another person, was given a three-year suspended sentence.
And while his actions were described as appalling, the reason given by now retired judge Tom O'Donnell not to imprison him was that it might harm his career.
Ms O'Brien was appalled at the decision, that the crime visited on her by Crotty received no custodial sanction.
He was subsequently discharged by the Defence Forces in July this year.
Ms O'Brien spoke to a journalist outside the court after his sentencing hearing and her comments expressing her outrage went viral, and the outrage then spread right across the country and beyond.
"That was it for me, that was the pinnacle of my staying silent."
Looking back at the year, Ms O'Brien said she could never in a million years have envisaged the absolute swell of anger and disgust at the outcome of her case, and how once again it was an example of how close women live to violence every day, and how their safety in the face of that violence appears always to take second place.
"I was suffering huge mental trauma following the assault.
"I was suffering from PTSD, I had to leave my job," she said.
"I had a complete breakdown and yet I had to stay silent about it all.
"I felt completely abandoned and alone, I had no voice and felt my life was worthless."
"And I was looking at my 25th year ahead and saying I couldn't endure much more of this," she added.
"When I finally got to the court case I felt 'OK, the system will protect me'.
"But no, I was further traumatised. That was it for me, that was the pinnacle of my staying silent.
"I was not going to hold it in any longer, I'm going to share everything."
Public protests about women's safety
Her comments sparked widespread public protests about the safety of women.
There were protests in her native Limerick city, followed by further protests at the Dáil attended by thousands of people.
"I found a new voice, a new confidence to speak my own truth, and to be fully supported to do that."
She was also invited to the Dáil, after which Tánaiste Micheál Martin revealed a dossier containing details of 68 cases of Defence Force members who had either been convicted or facing the courts for a range of offences including public order, drink and drugs offences, assault and sexual offences.
"To go from isolation and abandonment to see the widespread swell of community support for my case was just so overwhelming and empowering," said Ms O'Brien.
"I suddenly felt my silence and suffering meant something.
"I found a new voice, a new confidence to speak my own truth, and to be fully supported to do that.
"I cannot turn back time on what happened to me. But I do intend to use it to bring about change."
"There is a new government coming into being now and I will be knocking on their door demanding changes in the way victims are treated in the criminal justice system.
"The system needs to be reformed to be victim-centred. I want to see better communication between the office of the DPP and the gardaí and victims.
"Victims do not know what is happening because they are not told and they are left in the dark.
"And I feel gardaí need more trauma-based training dealing with victims."
"We've had to fight for everything in this system," she added.
"After being through such a horrendous experience, we shouldn't have to fight any longer."
If you have been impacted by any issues raised in this story, support is available.
