by Louise Doyle
A WOMAN raped by her former partner in her own home has urged other women experiencing sexual abuse behind closed doors to “take a deep breath and report it to gardaí”.
Paul Arthur, 59, from Conwal, Letterkenny was jailed for ten years after a jury found him guilty on Friday of three counts of raping Susie Lynch, in 2017 and 2018.
Speaking to the Donegal News, Ms Lynch said a system which allows notes from counselling to be used against a victim of sexual assault is “totally wrong” and only adds to the ordeal.
“I really do believe that people like myself who have to go through the system should not have their notes used by the prosecution system. It’s just another thing that a victim has to go through to get to the end. You have to submit your mobile phone, photos on your phone, emails, doctors notes, medical history and psychological reports. There is nothing sacred. Everything is on show, and everything is examined and cross-examined, including your counselling notes.”
Ms Lynch made her first statement to Letterkenny gardaí on October 21, 2019.
“When I was told then that if I had counselling those notes could be used as evidence in the trial, I made a decision there and then that I’ll be damned if he can have everything that is in my head. He took everything else, he was not getting that. It is totally wrong. This law should have been changed years ago.”
Ms Lynch said she now described herself as a survivor, but was a woman left without any other choice but to pursue the matter criminally.
“If I didn’t do something my life was never going to get any better,” she said.
“I would urge any other woman in the position that I was in to take a deep breath and take the step forward to report it.”
The mother-of-three spoke of having to endure two trials after the first, which began in Sligo, was abandoned.
“The trial started on a Wednesday. I gave my evidence on a Thursday and I was then cross-examined, which continued into the Friday but the senior counsel for the defence did not return from his lunch break and was ‘uncontactable’.”
The judge advised the junior counsel for the defence to get another senior counsel.
“I had to start all over again. I had to go to Castlebar in Mayo for my second trial and do it all over again in front of a jury of six men and six women. Paul Arthur had four charges against him but one wasn’t reported on because he was not convicted on it.”
Ms Lynch said the sentence handed down to Arthur gives her little comfort.
“He got a 12-year sentence and two years were taken off in mitigation as he accepted the jury’s verdict and said he would not be appealing the sentence.”
“It doesn’t offer me any comfort. He will get 25 per cent off for good behaviour. Is that enough for what he did? No, but I will accept it. I am happy that it is over. There are no winners here.”
Arthur tried to argue ill health.
However, in mitigation, Mr Justice Patrick McGrath said that while Arthur suffers from a number of health issues he said he did not believe prison would be “unduly oppressive” for him.
HOPES
Asked about her hopes for the future, Ms Lynch spoke of her pride in her three children and shared how she got married two years ago.
“I am so proud of my children. They didn’t know anything about this trial until it was over because how do you tell your kids?”
“There is light at the end of this tunnel. You can start over, and you can be happy.”
She praised Letterkenny gardaí and all who helped her on her road to justice.
“I must thank the people who made this happen, and for all the support from gardaí in Letterkenny, Ballyshannon and Cork, which has been nothing short of tremendous. The effort put in by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) was superb. They led me step my step through the process, they were phenomenal, led by Senior Counsel Tim O’Leary. The gardaí in Letterkenny were tremendous from the very first day I went to them.
“For anyone who needs to do this, take a deep breath and report it. Things will get brighter the day you do it.”
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