Derry rape victim’s sister speaks out on traumatic taxi incident as second arrest made
The sister of a woman who says she was raped by an off-duty taxi driver has spoken of the trauma the incident has left on her, as police made a second arrest in connection with the incident on New Year’s Eve. A man aged 59 who was originally arrested by the PSNI[1] in connection with the alleged rape in the Waterside area of the city has been ruled out as a suspect. A second man aged 58 was detained on Thursday by police investigating the serious sexual assault, and was later released on police bail.
The horrifying incident took place after the woman encountered a man acting strangely in a bar in the town on Sunday night while she was with a friend. Later, as she went to get a taxi home the victim says she was picked up by the same man, who she assumed was the taxi driver she had booked on her phone. The driver is then alleged to have taken her in the wrong direction to where her house was located, and raped her.
After being dropped off a short distance from her home, the victim then told her partner what had happened and the alarm was raised with the PSNI. The woman’s sister spoke to Belfast Live about the traumatic effect the assault has had on her. “She literally won’t leave the house, she’s so anxious.
“She spent the full next day in hospital getting assessed and she kept saying she shouldn’t have got into the taxi and had all these things going through her head. “Someone shouldn’t do that to someone, it’s not her fault at all. “The only way I could describe it like she’s almost back to being like as vulnerable as a child.
“Generally I would think of her as a strong person, but at the minute she just isn’t. I’ve never seen her as afraid in my life. “It is ridiculous that someone can roam free after doing something like that.”
The woman also told us it was ‘shocking” that her sister would have to wait for 18 weeks before receiving any counselling to deal with the trauma that she had faced as a result of the incident.
“My sister is in an awful state, she’s a shadow of her former self and she needs help, she needs counselling. “She’s been told that there will be a 12 week wait to get an appointment, to then have another six week wait for the actual sessions. “To be seen 18 weeks after you have been raped, it’s not something that you will ever get over, but the trauma and effect of that need to be helped within the first couple of weeks.
“Not 18 weeks later when your family and everybody around you has had to be those counsellors. None of us are professionals in that field so how are we supposed to know the support we are giving her is the right support?” A PSNI spokesperson said the investigation into the alleged rape is continuing: “Police investigating a report of a serious sexual assault in the Waterside area of Derry/Londonderry on 31 December, 2023, arrested a second man, aged 58 years old, on Thursday, 4th January.
The man has since been released on bail to allow for further police enquiries. “A 59-year-old man who was arrested as part of the investigation has been ruled out of the enquiry and is no longer a suspect. The investigation continues.”
If you need advice or support, call the 24hr Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline on 0808 802 1414, it is available 24/7 for any individual impacted by domestic or sexual abuse, either directly or indirectly. Webchat and email services are also available on dsahelpline.org[4] and [email protected][5]. The DSA Helpline is hosted by Nexus on behalf of the Departments of Communities, Health and Justice.
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References
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