THE DUBLIN RAPE Crisis Centre said it has seen “the profound effect” the Nikita Hand civil court case against Conor McGregor has had on the people it supports in recent weeks, with a surge in calls being made to the National Rape Crisis HelpLine.  

This evening, a High Court jury found that McGregor sexually assaulted Nikita Hand in a Dublin hotel in 2018. 

Nikita Hand (Ní Laimhín) had alleged that McGregor “sexually assaulted her, and in effect, raped her”. 

“Thankfully the jury found in favour of Nikita Hand. But this case and the public commentary around it has also thrown up questions about how some of Irish society views victims of sexual violence,” said Rachel Morrogh, chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

“Today’s verdict will be met with relief by many survivors of sexual violence watching and listening closely to the narrative inside and outside the courtroom.”

Speaking outside the court this evening, Nikita Hand said: “I would like to start off by saying I’m overwhelmed and touched by the support I have received from everybody.”

She thanked her legal team, the judge and jury, gardaí and paramedics, as well as doctors and nurses who provided her treatment and the Rape Crisis Centre.

Morrogh said that over the first 10 days of the civil case, calls to the National Rape Crisis Helpline increased by almost 20%, “with first-time callers increasing by 50% compared to the same period last year”. 

“These calls were largely from people who had experienced sexual violence themselves and who expressed distress and anxiety around details of the case and the views of people around them,” said Morrogh. 

She said the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has heard from people who say they have witnessed “an increase in negative victim-blaming attitudes” over the last two weeks.

“Given the epidemic of sexual violence that exists in Ireland and that over half of women will experience some form of it in their lifetime, those attitudes have been picked up by a considerable number of people directly affected by this issue.”

Responding directly to the finding of the High Court jury this evening, Morrogh said   the centre was “exceptionally proud to stand with the courageous and determined Nikita Hand in her pursuit of justice”.

She described it as “a very positive verdict and a mark of belief in survivors around the country”. 

“The court has acknowledged the wrongs done to this brave woman and the acts of violence against her,” she said.

“Nikita had a right to live a life free of sexual violence, just like every other woman who has ever experienced it. It is important to victims and survivors and to the wider public that when that right is violated, justice is served in the way that it was today.”

Morrogh said Nikita Hand had “held strong to her belief in the truth” in the face of “great adversity”. 

“It will take some time to analyse all the issues that have arisen for survivors as a result of this case but when we have, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre intends to bring forward a range of victim-centred recommendations.

“For now though, it is Nikita Hand’s day. All of us at Dublin Rape Crisis Centre wish her and her family the very best as they move on from this together.”

If this article has impacted you, the National Rape Crisis Helpline is open 24 hours a day for people who have been affected by sexual violence. Tel: 1800 77 88 88