The ongoing struggle for justice
For those unacquainted with the events currently embroiling the island of Ireland, the assault that Natasha O’Brien had to endure and the terrible miscarriage of justice which followed, have given many of us food for thought. The strength she has evidenced in the days since the judgment was handed down and her continued fight in the face of this injustice has led me to think of Stoicism through the female lens. Rather than allowing what happened to her to define who she is and the remainder of her life, Natasha’s potentially unwitting use of Stoic practices has allowed her to push back and strive for real positive change in the face of intense adversity.
Some Background ….
Natasha O’Brien is a 24-year-old woman from Limerick (the same part of Ireland I originally hail from) and at the time of the incident which befell her was working in Limerick City Centre. On 29 May 2022, she was walking home from a shift at work with a friend when she came across a group of young men shouting homophobic slurs at another young man. Worried that they may turn on the isolated man Natasha and her friend asked the men to cease using a word I will not repeat her.
The anger they displayed towards the man quickly turned to rage aimed at Natasha. A member of the Irish Armed Forces Cathal Crotty who was part of the group that night assaulted Natasha. He grabbed her by the hair and began to punch her up to six times, while his friends merely laughed and jeered. The screams of Natasha’s friend alerted another man in the vicinity who pulled Cathal Crotty off of Natasha, saving her life. Following this intervention, Cathal Crotty immediately fled the scene, on the main street of Limerick City.
In the aftermath, Natasha was left with a broken nose, a bad concussion, and awful swelling and bruising. Cathal Crotty meanwhile posted on social media bragging about his exploits with the caption, “Two to put her down, two to put her out”. When confronted by An Garda Síochána (the Irish police force) about the assault he attempted to claim it was Natasha who had instigated the fight, until confronted with CCTV footage proving the opposite was true.
The case eventually came to court last week and from this point, the entire ordeal was made even more difficult for Natasha. In the Irish Circuit Court sitting in Limerick and presided over by Judge O’Donnell, Cathal Crotty lodged a guilty plea following an extremely powerful witness impact statement from Natasha. In response, Justice O’Donnell handed down a three-year suspended sentence and ordered Cathal Crotty to pay Natasha €3,000. Following this sentence he further told Natasha she should be grateful for Crotty’s guilty plea, as she would not have to experience the difficulties inherent within a full court case.
The Locus of control
Having studied law for several years now and read multiple disturbing cases, I have realized how vital it is to talk about the individual who has suffered as a person rather than a victim or statistic. However, in this instance and in the aftermath of the decision being handed down, Natasha has ensured that she is not presented as a mere statistic.
One such Stoic practice she has utilized, whether she has realized it or not, is that of the locus of control. In a situation in which much of her ability to exercise control, from the assault itself to the court case, was taken from her Natasha has focused on what she can control. One perfect example of this razor-sharp focus is in how Natasha has ensured that she remains in control of the narrative surrounding the assault and the case.
In so doing she has started a movement which even if it does not bring the judicial reform so badly needed in Ireland right now, gives the women long affected by such toxic masculinity a voice. The protests and marches in solidarity with her cause, the standing ovation given to her in Dáil Éireann (our House of Parliament), and the spotlight of the media would not have been possible without her understanding of this concept.
Great Fortune through Injustice
The mental and physical trauma Natasha endured is something no woman should ever have to suffer at the hands of a man. Particularly given the fact her tax money went to funding the special arms training Cathal Crotty was provided with. So it goes without saying that what Natasha went through could quite obviously defined as great misfortune.
“Here is a rule to remember in future, when anything tempts you to feel bitter: not “This is misfortune,” but “To bear this worthily is good fortune.” – Marcus Aurelius
Natasha has truly embodied the above, this is self-evident in the manner with which she has conducted herself in the past few days. It is quite obvious from the manner of her speech that she has been quite deeply affected by the events of two years ago. However, she has not allowed this to take from the fact that her life remains her own. She may have suffered at the hands of Cathal Crotty, yet she refuses to allow him to take from her what is most important. The capacity to choose how she handles the situation she has now been placed in.
In so doing she has ensured that although her current circumstances may test her in the extreme, some good will come from it. She has willingly placed herself in a crucible which if the legal system operated correctly would not have been required of her, yet she refuses to be cowed by it all the same.
Do the Right Thing
Natasha’s interviews have also exposed us to her sense of morality which is truly commendable given her relatively young age and the difficulty of this situation.
“Just that you do the right thing. The rest doesn’t matter. Cold or warm. Tired or well-rested. Despised or honored.” – Marcus Aurelius
Having been brutally assaulted and failed by the justice system it would have been very easy for Natasha to fade out of the public spotlight. To enjoy some well-deserved rest after an exhausting public appearance in court, not to mention the mental strain and trauma of everything that occurred prior. Yet this was not the course of action that Natasha O’Brien took.
Rather she used the platform afforded to her by the injustice of Cathal Crotty’s three-year suspended sentence to try and make the world a little bit better. Her ongoing campaign for reform of the judicial system, particularly concerning women who have suffered from violent crimes, evidences her willingness to do the right thing irrespective of the associated cost.
Her courage and refusal to be defined by the circumstances imposed on her, provide an example not only to the people of Ireland but also to Stoics across the globe. Stoicism is practical right to its very core and can only truly be embodied when put to use in public life. At her young age in particular the decision to stand up and fight for what is right is a heartening one and an example we can all follow.
Some Final Thoughts
It is important to remember that in situations such as these, the momentum of a movement does not always translate into the change those involved hope to achieve. I would suggest that this does not take away from Natasha’s efforts rather it adds to them. To strive to do what we deem to be the right thing, with no guarantee we will ever see any fruits from our labor is commendable and Stoic to its core. All that matters truly is that we tried to make the world better in the first place.
Whatever comes next in this ordeal the resilience displayed by Natasha O’Brien can provide a true example of what it is to be Stoic in the modern day. When so many of us curse the misfortune of parking fines, canceled flights, and a myriad of other mild inconveniences, we can think of her. A young woman put in a horrible position who rather than making herself the priority, which would have been completely understandable, instead focused on what she could control and spoke up on behalf of those who do not have a voice.
If I could take one thing from Natasha O’Brien, it would be that we are not defined by our circumstances so long as we maintain the ability to choose. To choose to be better than those who have wronged us. To choose to make our world a little better step by step and action by action. To choose not to be buffeted by the lacing winds of the storm we all one day find ourselves in, but rather to stand tall and peer through the deluge into a brighter future.
If it is within Natasha O’Brien to maintain this ability to choose irrespective of circumstance, it is within all of us that much I can guarantee.
“I think I speak for so many victims who don’t have a voice… I was beaten to within an inch of my life and I’m here to tell the tale so I’m not going to stop. It’s not in me to wish what I experienced on another human being, it’s not humane.” – Natasha O’Brien
