Application to freeze cash award to rapist resolved

A rape victim’s court application to freeze a €17,000 award made to her attacker has been resolved.
The application related to an award made to Darius Savickis, a Lithuanian national who raped the 23-year-old German woman as she walked home from work in Galway on November 28th, 2005.
He pleaded guilty to the rape and was sentenced to six years in prison in 2009.
While serving that sentence in Castlerea prison he was assaulted by a prison officer.
A High Court jury gave Savickis just €225 for what happened to him in the prison assault incident, but the Court of Appeal increased it to €17,225.
His victim then applied to the High Court for a freezing order on that award pending determination of her own civil action seeking damages against him for what he did to her.
Senior Counsel Conor Power for the woman said the freezing order was being sought over concerns Savickis may dissipate the award to frustrate efforts by his victim to enforce any judgment she may get against him.
Savickis’ lawyers had opposed the application.
This week, Justice Tony O’Connor was told the freezing order was no longer being pursued and could be struck out.
It had been agreed that the award would be held on deposit by Savickis’s solicitors pending the outcome of the woman’s action.
The case will return before the courts in the New Year.