The Director of Public Prosecutions should immediately appeal the suspended sentence imposed on Magnus Meyer Hustveit (25) for the rape and sexual assault of his former partner, the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) said.
“We are very surprised [with a suspended sentence] considering the severity of the crimes that he committed,” said Clíona Saidléar, RCNI acting executive director.
Ms Saidléar said it was “important to note” that the breach of trust on the part of Meyer Hustveit put his crimes on the upper end of the scale.
“The victim impact statement made the impact of the crimes clear and it’s difficult to see then that there is no jail term whatsoever.
“The impact on the survivor really must to be taken into account.”
Ms Saidléar said the sentencing, which will mean the convicted man will serve no time in prison, also raised serious questions around safety in the community.
The RCNI believed a sentence such as this was a “backward step as far as the justice system is concerned” in terms of encouraging other victims of sex crimes to come forward.
The criminal justice system also needed to stop putting victims on trial, pointing to a previous incident of sexual abuse against the victim being raised during the trial to be used against her.
