Cathal Crotty, the Irish soldier who was convicted last month of the assault of Natasha O'Brien and given a fully suspended sentence, is set to be officially discharged from the Irish Defence Forces at 11:59 pm tonight, July 11.
"The Defence Forces unequivocally condemns any actions by serving personnel that are contrary to military regulations or that do not reflect our values," a spokesperson for the Irish Defence Forces said on Thursday.
"The Defence Forces can confirm that Private Crotty will be discharged later today."
Crotty, 22, from Co Clare, was handed a three-year suspended sentence for beating O'Brien unconscious in a random attack in Limerick on May 29, 2022, after O'Brien had asked him to stop shouting homophobic slurs.
After his attack, he boasted to friends on social media: “Two to put her down, two to put her out."
Crotty initially tried to blame O'Brien for instigating the incident but entered a guilty plea after being confronted with CCTV evidence.
Judge Tom O’Donnell handed down a suspended sentence at Limerick Circuit Court last month, noting Crotty's lack of previous convictions, his guilty plea, and the impact that a custodial sentence could have on his army career.
The judge also ordered Crotty to pay O'Brien €3,000 in compensation.
The suspended sentence sparked nationwide protests in addition to conversations about violence against women and Irish prison sentencing, with O'Brien saying it was "not justice."
The day after Crotty received his suspended sentence, the Irish Defence Forces confirmed it would be launching its own review: "Any conviction in a civilian court may have implications for the retention and service of members of the Defence Forces, as stipulated in Defence Forces Regulations.
"Once due process has been completed in a civilian court of law it becomes a matter for the relevant Defence Forces authorities, in accordance with Defence Forces Regulations.
"We can confirm that these proceedings have commenced and as such, it would be inappropriate to comment further on this specific case."
Crotty was told he had seven days to "make representations" as to why he should not be discharged, according to The Irish Times, which noted that it is understood no compelling argument against his discharge was forthcoming.
Meanwhile, the Director of Public Prosecutions has lodged an appeal against Crotty's suspended sentence on the grounds that it was too lenient.
On Thursday, O'Brien told Virgin Media News that Crotty's dismissal is "the bare minimum and it's too little too late."
She did acknowledge it's a "step in the right direction," but added that it's "really difficult to have any sense of justice for this when it's taken this amount of media spotlight, this much national pressure, for the bare minimum to be followed through with."
A woman who was assaulted by a soldier says his official discharge is 'too little too late.'
The Defence Forces confirmed that Private Cathal Crotty, who viciously attacked Limerick woman Natasha O'Brien and was handed a fully suspended sentence, will be dismissed later tonight. pic.twitter.com/aZURUQTisj
— Virgin Media News (@VirginMediaNews) July 11, 2024
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