Overview

• Fearghall Joseph Mulgrew admitted sexual assault by penetration and five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was sentenced on February 5, 2024 to 22 months with eight months in custody and 10 years on the sex offenders register.
• Sophie, speaking under a pseudonym, describes a single encounter that escalated from consensual sex to violence, including biting, choking and ignored boundaries despite a pre‑agreed safe word.
• She self‑referred to The Rowan sexual assault referral centre, received medical and forensic care, and then engaged with PSNI detectives who she says supported her throughout the investigation.
• Nearly a year after the assault she contacted police, later witnessing Mulgrew plead or be found guilty in court, which she says lifted a weight even as recovery continues.
• Now 24, she reports ongoing mental‑health treatment and urges other young people to report assaults, stressing that consent can be complex and that victims will be believed.