I FORGAVE MY SEX ATTACKER

Opening the door, I glanced into the room and saw a man sitting at a table. As I stepped forward, the room was silent, yet I could hear the thump of my heart.

Nine years had passed since the man in front of me had attacked me. And now I was about to look him in the eye for the first time since the court case. I was finally ready to ask the questions that had haunted me for almost a decade.

In July 2005, at around 4am, I had boarded the night bus in Dublin after a long shift at the bar where I worked. I was 21 and had recently finished my degree in Commerce. I was saving every penny I could to go travelling with friends.

‘HIS ARM GRABBED ME