AN IRISH nurse who was jailed for digitally raping a woman in Australia is expected to have the charges dropped by Australian authorities today.
Anne-Marie O’Loughlin (26) has maintained her innocence since the alleged incident took place in the female toilets at a Brisbane hotel in November 2009.
Following a five-day trial, a jury took 13 hours to convict O’Loughlin, who had been working in Australia as a registered nurse. The trial was told O’Loughlin attacked a 34-year-old local woman, who cannot be named, in the female toilets of the hotel.
However, O’Loughlin was granted a retrial following an appeal earlier this month.
O’Loughlin, who has been out on conditional bail pending the retrial, was told on Sunday the 34-year-old complainant was seeking to withdraw the charges. Her family are hopeful she can now return to Ireland.
Surrounded by neighbours and friends at the family farm in Edenderry, Co Offaly, yesterday, her father Shay O’Loughlin was “over the moon”.
“We are absolutely thrilled with it. We didn’t think we would get a conclusion so quickly,” Mr O’Loughlin said.
“The allegation was made against her after this night out and quite a number of times she was told the case looked likely to be dropped.
“Even when it was going forward . . . she was being assured all the time by her legal people that she would be cleared of it,” Mr O’Loughlin said.
“It has been a horrible time. We know Anne-Marie is a very good person. Only for the support we got we wouldn’t have got through it.”
Mr O’Loughlin and his wife Anna travelled to Australia for their daughter’s sentencing last February.
While there they received support from the Irish-Australian Support Group. Back at home neighbours and friends looked after the family farm.
“I had great people here. I could have run 10 farms with the amount of help,” said Mr O’Loughlin.
“We had wonderful support in Brisbane. We went out there and we didn’t know what we were going to meet but we had wonderful support, not alone just from Irish-Australians, but also from some Australians who saw the great injustice.”
Although due for release on her 27th birthday on March 3rd, O’Loughlin was determined to clear her name.
“It wasn’t the sentence really. It was to get her name cleared in court, that’s what we were going for really,” her father said. “She’s a very strong person I suppose. It was difficult because a lot of the people that were in there, were in for 20 years you know. They had a little party for her when she was leaving, they were able to get a little cake somewhere.”