KIELAN MOONEY FROM DERRY NORTHERN IRELAND SENTENCED FOR RAPE IN DUBLIN HOTEL

A soldier from Northern Ireland, Kielan Mooney, has been sentenced to eight and a half years in prison after being convicted of serious sexual offenses committed against a fellow service member at a hotel in Dublin. The incident took place on July 26, 2021, and involved multiple charges including anal rape, oral rape, and rape, all of which Mooney was found guilty of following a trial at the Central Criminal Court last December.

Mooney, aged 30 and residing in Bloomfield Park, Derry, had denied six charges brought against him. These charges encompassed two counts of rape, two counts of oral rape, one count of anal rape, and one of sexual assault. The jury, however, was unable to reach a verdict on three additional charges, leaving some aspects of the case unresolved. The victim, a 24-year-old woman and also a member of the Irish Defence Forces, chose not to be identified publicly but expressed her consent for Mooney to be named in media reports concerning the case.

During the sentencing hearing on Monday, Mr. Justice Tony Hunt described Mooney’s actions as a blatant disregard for the woman’s boundaries. The judge stated that Mooney