The sentence handed to a soldier who last week pleaded guilty to beating a woman unconscious in a Limerick street attack has been branded 'shocking but not surprising.'
Cathal Crotty, of Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Co Clare, was on Thursday handed a three-year suspended sentence for the attack.
The 24-year-old victim, Natasha O'Brien, later told Newstalk she was “completely horrified” by the sentence.
Judge Tom O'Donnell said Mr Crotty's actions were "utterly appalling", but said he had "no doubt" if he imposed an immediate jail sentence on Mr Crotty his Army "career is over".
Retired Army Captain Diane Byrne of the Women of Honour group told Newstalk Breakfast the case didn't surprise her.
View this post on Instagram
"Unfortunately this particular case is not coming as a surprise," she said.
"We didn't know any details of this case itself but we have a great many others that really match this type of case.
"We're seeing them constantly coming to us as a stream so it's not really a new piece of information to us.
"It's shocking what has happened – but it's happened many times before."
An Irish Defence Forces arm patch on a soldier, 19-10-16. Image: Andy Gibson / AlamyCapt Byrne said the Women of Honour group is happy to see protests against the sentence given to Cathal Crotty.
"We're delighted in one way to see the mass outrage that's happening but it's not the only case that deserves this type of outrage," she said.
"That's why we're focusing in terms of the tribunal to get them all into it".
'Very disappointing'
Capt Byrne said the Judge placed a higher importance on Cathal Crotty's career then the crime he committed.
"It's absolutely shocking that a career of somebody who has perpetuated a crime such as this can take precedence over the crime itself nearly," she said.
"We have seen it before, we have seen people protected within the Defence Forces for crimes such as this.
"It's very, very disappointing that it's still happening.
"It's concerning that the cultural change that's been put out and all of the stories that have made the headlines... in violence, particularly against women, in the last number of years that we're still here.
"Women of Honour have been fighting to get this looked at and unearth the truths that are really going on."
Capt Byrne was speaking ahead of the first public sitting of the Tribunal into the Defence Forces which takes place today.
It is urging all former and current Defence Forces personnel, anyone who has been allegedly wronged or who has witnessed alleged wrongdoing, to come forward.
