Aftermath: My Story

In July 2019, Bláthnaid Raleigh was enjoying a typical night out in Galway with friends and a few acquaintances from Mullingar. At the house party that followed, a night that had started like any other took a sinister turn when Jonathan Moran attacked and raped her.

Back in their hometown of Mullingar, Bláthnaid would spend the next five years living with the after-effects of that night, she and her family left in limbo, wracked with uncertainty. Meanwhile, her attacker, unable to be identified for legal reasons, continued his life as if nothing had happened – working, socialising and playing rugby.

On 1 July 2024, Moran was sentenced to eight years in jail, without ever offering a moment's remorse. What would this verdict mean for Bláthnaid and the life that she was forced to put on hold? Would this be the day that the old Bláthnaid would re-emerge? Could it ever be that simple?

Aftermath is raw, powerful and a truly devastating account of a system that left Bláthnaid feeling forgotten, irrelevant and lost. In an Ireland that claims to be victim-centric, Bláthnaid's words provide the ultimate and unequivocal victim impact statement.