Edward Piotrowksi: threats

The woman whose rapist has begun to serve five life sentences for a vicious assault, says she hesitated about the prosecution when her family in Poland was threatened.

Mr Justice Peter Charleton said the two-and-a-half-hour assault on the woman and her partner in 2007 was "astonishing and horrible", describing it as "the most grievous sexual assault I have ever come across in my career".

He did not intend that Polish man Edward Piotrowski, Clonmullen Hall, Edenderry, would ever come out of prison.

The woman spoke to reporters yesterday "to encourage other women to come forward and fight for justice.

"These men, they should pay at the end of the day, they destroy your life, your joyful life, they should pay for it," said the woman, whom Justice Charleton said had shown "a high level of intelligence and emotional intelligence" to escape Piotrowski.

In an assured voice, speaking excellent English with a local accent, she spoke of her relief at having gone ahead with the prosecution, despite fears for her life.

"He said he would kill me or get someone to do it. All the threats upset me. I felt he was going to do it some day," she said.

She wanted to give up when her family in Poland were threatened because "you feel that someone you love, or someone's life, could be at risk. I felt at that time like I want to give up."

Gardaí discovered that while in custody, Piotrowski had attempted on two occasions to arrange outsiders to assassinate the couple and harm her family.

On the night of the ordeal, during which her partner was tied up, gagged and forced to watch as she was raped before she was taken into another room to be repeatedly sexually assaulted, Piotrowski also threatened to kill the woman, her partner and his daughter if she told police.

She rejected the notion that he was mentally unwell and described him as "a bad person" and "psychotic".

"My life is not going to be the same again," she said, but added that "I already gave him two years of my life. I just want to get on with my life and be happy."

She feels safe in Ireland and wants to stay here, where both she and her partner received incredible support and confidence from gardaí and the Rape Crisis Centre.

"I didn't expect that much support as a foreign [person]. I was afraid of all the systems. Most rape victims are afraid and that's why they don't come forward."

However, she urged victims to contact gardaí and the Rape Crisis Centre who "give great support. Those people are there for you any time you need them. There is help available. [Victims] don't have to suffer in silence."