The father of an Irish nurse who was recently released from an Australian jail, pending a retrial on rape charges, has spoken out about his daughter’s conviction and retrial.

Anne Marie O’Loughlin (26) was convicted in February of raping a married woman in a Brisbane hotel and sentenced to two-and-a-half years in an Australian jail. She was found guilty on two counts of digital rape and one of deprivation of liberty at hotel on November 29, 2009. She was found not guilty on the fourth count of sexual assault.

Recently the Queensland Court of Appeal ordered a new trial and released the Offaly woman on conditional bail.

“I know my daughter is no rapist and she is not a lesbian,” her father Shay, from Fann, Edenderry told John Murray on RTE Radio 1 today.

“We are very confident that Anne Marie will be cleared in a retrial.

“We know her and her friends know her. The truth will come out in the end. There’s downers in life and you have to get on and fight them. Good comes to the top eventually.

"She is in great form, she was quite emotional when she got the word. She is very physically and mentally strong, she is very well through it all. She was drinking a cup of Barry's Tea when I was talking to her. She said she never tasted anything like it," said Shay

The qualified nurse will have to remain in Australia for the retrial which is set to begin on August 22. If she is acquitted of the charges she will be deported to Ireland as her visa has expired.

“The support she had received has been wonderful,” her father said, adding “Good people give their support and are prepared to stand up”.

The original five day trial last February heard O’Loughlin has attacked the 32-year-old woman in the toilet of the hotel. The victim told the court she kissed the Irishwoman for up to three minutes but did not give her consent for any other sexual acts.

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