ATTACK VIDEOED |
A video of the attack circulated widely on social media
File photo of Amsterdam.
An Italian man has been jailed for raping an Irish woman in front of bystanders at a festival in Amsterdam.
The 28-year-old man – whose name was given as Sirio S. – was sentenced to 18 months behind bars, with six months conditionally suspended, NL Times reports.
Prosecutors had initially recommended a sentence of three years.
He raped the woman on a busy street in the Dutch city in April during King’s Day celebrations.
The Dutch holiday is held annually to mark the birthday of King Willem-Alexander.
File photo of Amsterdam.
News in 90 Seconds – Friday, October 24
The court heard how bystanders videoed the incident and shared it to social media after the man was seen lying on top of a woman between two cars.
In the days following the brutal rape, the mayor of Amsterdam asked the public to stop sharing the “deeply humiliating” videos.
“This is not only traumatic for the woman, it is also punishable,” she said.
S., was seen with his pants around his ankles, before a group of women pulled him off the victim and called police.
The woman, a 36-year-old, said she could not remember what happened, but told police she didn’t consent to sex with her attacker.
She was described as being barely conscious during her rescue and when she was brought to the hospital by first responders.
Footage gathered by investigators shows she was “unsteady on her feet” when the rape began.
Sirio S. was arrested at his home in Amsterdam two days following the attack.
During the trial, he told the court he should have realised that the woman didn’t want to have sex with him and blamed not doing so on drinking too much alcohol.
The prosecutor said that being drunk was not a mitigating circumstance, and S. had sex with someone incapable of consenting.
Dutch News reports that he must also pay compensation to his victim.
If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact the Rape Crisis Centre on 1800 77 8888.