“I think it sends yet another message to women and marginalized folks everywhere that we’re not equal, and you can do anything to us, and the perpetrators are still going to be out there being glorified.”

I’m an innately nosey and chronically online celebrity and pop culture journalist, with my specialist areas including deep-diving lyrics and calling out Terrible Men™.

This article contains disturbing details of rape and sexual assault.

For context, Nikita was forced to file a civil lawsuit against Conor because Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had previously declined to pursue criminal charges after determining that there wasn’t enough evidence to secure a conviction in a criminal court, which requires proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. 

Nikita ultimately filed a civil claim for assault because the criminal justice route was not an option for her. The civil system requires a lower burden of proof, which allowed her case to be heard.