The Minister for Justice has commended Dublin woman Nikita Hand for her “bravery and determination” after winning a civil case against mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee praised Ms Hand’s bravery and said she had shown “there is light at the end of the tunnel”.
“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 added: “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 said in a statement outside court yesterday that she hoped her case would remind victims of assault to keep “pushing forward for justice”.
Describing the past six years as “a nightmare”, she said: “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.”
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Background: Nikita Hand’s case against Conor McGregor
During the case, Ms Hand said she was “disappointed and upset” when the Director of Public Prosecutions decided not to prosecute the case after she made a complaint to the Irish police.
In a letter to her in August 2020, the DPP said there was “insufficient evidence” and there was not a reasonable prospect of conviction.
Ms Hand asked the DPP to review the decision, saying she felt she was being treated differently because one of the suspects was famous.
Asked about the DPP’s decision not to prosecute, Ms McEntee said: “We have a very independent system in this country, and I think that’s right.
“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.
“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.
“But… it is independent, and I really think it’s important that we respect that independence.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said Ms Hand demonstrated “incredible composure… dignity and just remarkable courage” throughout.
Ms McDonald said she hopes “she really knows how much support and how much solidarity is felt for her and her partner and her daughter”.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin also said Ms Hand had displayed “extraordinary courage and bravery.”
He said “this was not an easy case at all to take” but that “she’s demonstrated incredible courage, which I hope others might be in a position to follow”.
When asked about the DPP decision not to pursue the case, Mr Martin said that ‘there is of course separation of powers”, adding that “..I don’t have the full background that the DPP had in respect to this, but the bottom line is, there’s a higher degree of higher challenge in a criminal place than there is in a civil case.”
Mr Martin also said that the criminal justice system has to become more victim-centric than it probably has been in the past.
Additional reporting Tommy Meskill, Evelyn O’Rourke