Young woman raped in Galway hut waives anonymity so her attacker’s name can be revealed

A young woman who was raped in a Galway hut has waived her anonymity so that the name of her attacker can be revealed.

The eight-year prison sentence that rapist Jonathan Moran must serve was described by his victim Bláthnaid Raleigh as a harsh punishment that brought him great relief.

Today’s Irish Independent reports that 26-year-old Jonathan Moran has been sentenced to eight years in prison after being found guilty of raping Bláthnaid with a bottle in a garden shed in July 2019.

Ms Raleigh suffered severe physical injuries which required months of treatment in the sexual offences unit.

Mr Moran, of Tower View in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, denied the offence but was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court.

Ms Raleigh had been attending the Galway Arts Festival with a friend when they met several people there who they knew from Mullingar, including Moran. She went back to the Airbnb where he was staying and that’s where the attack occurred.

Jonathan Moran, who played rugby for Mullingar Rugby Club for over a decade, is believed to have kept the incident, his arrest and the charges secret from his teammates and club for five years.