THOUSANDS of protesters in Ireland hit the streets on Saturday after a serving soldier was given a suspended sentence for his brutal assault on a woman in Limerick last November.

Cathal Crotty was given a three-year suspended sentence on Thursday for beating Natasha O’Brien six times until she was unconscious after she asked him to stop shouting homophobic abuse.

Mr Crotty later boasted about the attack on social media.

Protests against the sentence were held in Limerick, Cork, Dublin and Galway.

At the protest in Limerick Ms O’Brien said: “I chose to speak up because I couldn’t imagine the impact on other victims.

“This is enough. This is the time for it to end.”

Ms O’Brien slammed the country’s Department of Justice for “not listening to us.” 

From the Limerick rally Edith Busteed of the socialist feminist movement Rosa told Irish broadcaster RTE: “It’s happened time and time again.

“We’ve organised so many protests with Rosa, but this is a systemic issue.”

She said that gender-based violence is “constantly justified, especially in the Irish court system and justice system.”

Ms Busteed said: “The survivor of this attack deserves justice, so we’re here today to advocate for that.”

Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee praised Ms O’Brien on Friday for coming forward.

She said prosecutors in Ireland were entitled to lodge an appeal against the sentence.

Ms O’Brien replied that an appeal was “the least of our concerns,” as she wanted to see real cultural and legal changes.

The Irish Defence Forces (IDF) said in a statement on Friday that internal proceedings had started against Mr Crotty after the conviction.

The IDF said that it “unequivocally condemns any actions by serving personnel that are contrary to or do not reflect our values.”

It also praised the “bravery of the victim,” for stepping forward.