Former soldier's army rape hell"

Allegation of sex assault by officer, 'Lack of evidence' to prosecute case

- NICOLA DONNELLY

A FORMER Army private has broken her silence to allege she was raped by a senior officer. 

Brave Roslyn O’Callaghan also alleged she was let down by the Defence Forces and said the investigation into her assault was flawed.

Roslyn told RTE she was attacked just weeks after she celebrated her 21st birthday. The attack led to two suicide attempts and a life-long struggle with severe PTSD.

Describing the moment she reported to the Army that she had been raped, Roslyn said: “From that moment on my soul left my body. There was Roslyn no more.

“I was always of the opinion that the Army will look after me. They’ll believe me. I’ve done nothing wrong here, how wrong I was,” she said, speaking on Upfront with Katie Hannon on RTE One last night.

After an investigation by the Defence Forces, Roslyn got the news that there was insufficient evidence to charge her alleged attacker with sexual assault or rape.

“I was told by the female officer that he was not going to be charged with rape. There was going to be no charge of rape.

“Not that it didn’t happen. It did happen but they can’t prove it. There’s not enough evidence,” she told Katie.

Roslyn added that the alleged attack happened after she got very drunk on a night out and was left in a bedroom because she was very ill.

She told RTE: “I remember waking up and this man kissing me and on top of me. I remember my shorts being taken off and my underwear and I remember this man having sex with me.