Justice Minister Praises Nikita Hand After Civil Case Win Against Conor McGregor

The justice minister of Ireland has praised a woman from Dublin for her “bravery and determination” following her success in a civil lawsuit against Irish mixed martial arts (MMA) competitor Conor McGregor. Nikita Hand, who alleged that the athlete raped her in a Dublin hotel in December 2018, secured a judgment for damages against him in a civil proceeding at the High Court in the Irish capital on Friday. The jury awarded Ms Hand a total of €248,603.60 (£206,714.31) in damages. McGregor has stated on social media that he plans to appeal the verdict. Helen McEntee, the Justice Minister, commended Ms Hand’s courage and remarked that she had demonstrated “there is light at the end of the tunnel”. McEntee stated: “I just want to commend Nikita for her bravery, for her determination and the leadership that she has shown in what has been – I’ve no doubt – a very, very difficult time for her and indeed, for her family.” She further commented: “Because of wonderful people like Nikita, I hope that it shows that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that there are supports available to people, and that there is justice at the end of the day.” Ms Hand had also initiated legal proceedings against another individual, James Lawrence, 35, residing at Rafter’s Road, Drimnagh in Dublin. She claimed he assaulted her by engaging in sexual intercourse with her without her consent at the Beacon Hotel. The jury concluded that he did not assault her. In a statement delivered outside the court on Friday, Ms Hand expressed her hope that her legal action would encourage victims of assault to continue “pushing forward for justice”. Characterizing the preceding six years as “a nightmare”, she stated: “I want to show [my daughter] Freya and every other girl and boy that you can stand up for yourself if something happens to you, no matter who the person is, and justice will be served.” Throughout the proceedings, Ms Hand conveyed that she was “disappointed and upset” by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)’s decision not to pursue charges after she lodged a complaint with the Irish police. The DPP informed her in a letter dated August 2020 that there was “insufficient evidence” and no reasonable likelihood of a conviction. Ms Hand requested that the DPP re-evaluate the decision, asserting that she believed she was being handled differently due to the celebrity status of one of the suspects. When questioned regarding the DPP’s choice not to prosecute, Ms McEntee responded: “We have a very independent system in this country, and I think that’s right.” She continued: “Our DPP, she’s independent in the decisions that are taken, and for good reasons that there should never be any political interference in that process.” McEntee added: “There is always an option for an individual to ask for reasons to be outlined as to why the DPP made a particular decision, and that is open to any individual or any case, but I have, since becoming minister, given priority to and enabled a new office within the DPP to open specifically focused on sexual offences, so that this issue can be given the focus and the priority that it needs.” Simon Harris, the leader of Fine Gael and Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister), has contacted Ms Hand via telephone to convey his solidarity. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our approach to external linking is available.