Gardaí and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre have paid tribute to the bravery of a 14- year-old rape victim following the sentencing of the man who assaulted her yesterday.
Kasenge Bangu, originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was given a 15-year sentence at the Central Criminal Court.
He brought the young girl into the country in 2002 under the pretext of looking after his children and then raped her on four occasions.
Ellen Dunlop-O'Malley, chief executive officer of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said she congratulated the young woman on her bravery.
"We are delighted for this young woman and she is a great example to other women who have endured similar crimes," she said.
"For a young woman to have the courage to follow through with a case in a strange country and in a language she was not familiar with, she must be an amazing woman."
She added that the sentence in the case was appropriate and sent a clear message to perpetrators and to women who were victims of such crimes.
Sgt Kevin Foran of the Garda National Immigration Bureau, who gave evidence at the trial, said that the victim had shown great courage. "It was an extreme act of bravery for her to escape that household," he said.
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