David Woodland Photography
Natasha O’Brien: ‘I want the silent victims to get the same justice that I did’
In the aftermath of Cathal Crotty’s resentencing in the Court of Appeal, Sarah Gill sat down with Natasha O’Brien to talk advocacy, the pursuit of justice and healing from trauma.
Two and a half years ago, on 29 May 2022, Natasha O’Brien was violently attacked on the streets of Limerick city for asking a young man to stop hurling homophobic abuse at a passerby. She was left with a broken nose and a concussion, knocked unconscious in an assault that only ended when someone else intervened.
Her attacker Cathal Crotty, who was at the time a member of the Irish Defence Force, seemed to feel proud of this unprovoked attack, bragging about it to his friends on Snapchat saying: “Two to put her down, two to put her out.” When approached by Gardaí, he attempted to deny any involvement, but when confronted with CCTV evidence and the Snapchat message, Crotty pled guilty.
In July, Judge Tom O’Donnell imposed a three-year suspended sentence for assault causing harm, expressing concern that a prison sentence would certainly end Crotty’s army career. Less than a month later, he was formally dismissed from the Defence Forces. Appearing in court in his soldier’s uniform, his employment took precedence over Natasha’s trauma. As a result of the attack, she suffers from PTSD and depression, was deemed ‘high-risk’ for a brain bleed and lived in fear while he walked free.
I want the silent victims to get the same justice that I did.
The Director of Public Prosecutions lodged an appeal against the sentence on the grounds of undue leniency, and on Thursday, January 23, justice was finally served. Cathal Crotty was jailed for a two-year term, with the DPP arguing that the fully suspended sentence was unduly lenient, that it sent the wrong message and would not deter others from committing similar crimes.
“I have dedicated all my time and energy to campaigning and advocating and trying to get justice,” Natasha tells me in the aftermath of the resentencing. “We need to have the modern justice system that we deserve. We have such a wonderful society and it’s so frustrating that we have a justice system that does not reflect the good people of this country.”
The Court of Appeal hearing and decision, for Natasha, was a validating one. For the first time in an Irish courtroom, she felt in focus. “The judges really heard my victim impact statement, and they took it all into account. It felt like a milestone, but I want to see that implemented across every Irish court, whether a victim opens their mouth or not.”
What Natasha wants more than anything is for this milestone to serve as a stepping stone towards a justice system that will condemn violence and set a precedent that shows that acts of violence have consequences, that they will not be tolerated.


“It’s been frustrating to live in this country and see such widespread tolerance and acceptance. I want every one of us to feel safe at home, when we’re walking down the street, and to know that if we’re ever put in harm’s way, there is a way out, there’ll be a genuine response, and they’ll be protected,” Natasha says. “I’ve had to go to great lengths to get the bare minimum. I’ve had to scream and shout and I want the silent victims to get the same justice that I did. I don’t believe that justice for one person is justice, it’s privilege.”
Since the violent murder of Ashling Murphy three years ago, there have been 28 more women murdered by men in Ireland. A new study from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre found that 25% of the men surveyed questioned whether sex without consent is as widespread a problem as it’s made out. Over Christmas week, a record number of domestic violence incidents was reported to An Garda Síochána, with a total of 1,600 calls for help received. Ireland does not feel like a safe place for women.
Though incredibly grateful for the result, Natasha remains optimistic that it will flip the script in Irish courts going forward so that the suffering of the victim can be centred, rather than the job or hobby of the accused. “Last week, the judges said that a suspended sentence could in no way reform public deterrence to violence,” Natasha continues. “It did not give any weight to the gravity of the crime — it totally enabled it. The reason I started campaigning was because the sentence did not act as a preventative. The sentence enabled violence, and that terrified me.”
It’s been frustrating living in a country that seems to tolerate violence against women.
“These sentences send a message to society, so we have to make sure they’re sending the right one. Without consequences, it’s very easy not to think twice about being violent.”
On the evening of her attack back in May 2022, Natasha acted with bravery and courage, calling out behaviour as she saw it — and she was punished. But that won’t deter this young woman from sticking her head above the parapet for others.
“In this society, it is so common for people to put their heads down. We’re afraid to have any input in the actions of others, and we’ve become so isolated in our society that it’s now the norm to not speak up, to not cause a fuss, to put your head down if you see something happening.”
“I believe that the wellbeing of strangers is all of our business in this country,” Natasha elaborates. “When I asked my attacker politely to leave that person alone, to stop using homophobic slurs, it came as a massive shock for him. I think that’s because he wasn’t used to being held accountable.”


When we turn a blind eye, when we don’t stand up for others, we’re nomalising bad behaviour and creating a toxicity that will poison our society. We should all be looking out for each other, take a deep breath and ask ourselves, as Natasha asked herself that night: How could you put your head down and walk away when you see someone in harm’s way?
“I was attacked when I stood up for someone, but we have to remember that someone else ran to my side and pulled him off me. He saved me because he didn’t mind his own business. Then there’s the public that came together to show me support and stand behind me. That horrible experience has shown me the best parts of society and I’ve learnt how much good there is out there, how many people care and how rich and powerful that community is.”
Before we end our call, I wanted to ask Natasha about her healing journey over the past two and a half years. “Having something really traumatic happen, I couldn’t deal with it at the start, so I threw myself into work. I worked two jobs, seven days a week, and a year later I was totally burnt out. I hit a really low point in my life, and became so, so depressed.”
The wellbeing of strangers is all of our business — we should always protect each other.
“I felt so worthless for so long and I really struggled. For that to be confirmed in court in June, that my suffering and my life isn’t important, that they’re going to focus instead on the life and career of my attacker, that they’re not going to give much gravity to what I’ve gone through, that really set me off.
“It was so important to me to do everything in my power to ensure that violence isn’t tolerated or accepted. That victims are focused, that the courts are more victim-centred because it felt like such a cold place as a victim. I didn’t feel like I was seen at all and victims should be seen and heard.
“During that time I realised that I am worth something; I’m worth a lot. My life is valuable and I should be treated as such. It was part of my healing journey to stand up and speak out and receive such a fabulous reaction and support and love.
“I’ve spent so long in survival mode, in fight mode, and now I’m finally able to sit with all the trauma and emotions. I’ve been up and down, and it’s been testing, but with therapy, I’m slowly trying to give myself the time I need. It was so much easier to focus on fixing the system for everyone else and forget myself in that—not eat properly, not sleep properly—now it’s about learning to give myself a balance. Yes, I can do a lot of good, but not at the expense of myself. I need to focus on myself first because I can’t help anyone else if I’m not okay myself. I’m focusing on giving the love and care and support I have for everyone else back to myself now.”
Photography by David Woodland Photography.
As a spokesperson for Brigit 2025: Dublin City Celebrating Women, Natasha will be speaking as part of Seanchoíche’s Brigit’s Fire: A Celebration of Women through Spoken Word, Music & Poetry evening in Pepper Canister Church on Saturday, February 1.