‘No means no’: Doctor at University Hospital Limerick found guilty of raping nurse

A DOCTOR who was working in University Hospital Limerick has been found guilty by a jury of raping and sexually assaulting a nurse, who was also employed by the hospital.

The woman, in her victim impact statement, told of the traumatic and life-changing effects that the crimes have had on her and how she “also feared for the patients of UHL”.

Moroccan national, Louay Kila, aged 31, of Cois Luachra, Dooradoyle, Limerick city was found guilty by a jury on Thursday at the Central Criminal Court, sitting in Limerick, of rape and sexual assault. The jury took four hours to deliver unanimous verdicts on both counts.

The matter was adjourned to this Friday morning for sentencing when Garrett McCormack SC, for the prosecution, outlined the facts of the case with the assistance of Garda James O’Donoghue.

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He said the doctor, and the nurse - who cannot be identified - were socialising in Limerick city on a particular date in 2024. They and a number of others went back to an apartment in the city centre to “continue partying”.

Mr McCormack said the victim fell asleep on a couch. He said a photo of Kila kissing the woman on the cheek while she slept, was shared on Snapchat, with other parties.

The prosecuting barrister said that some time later the victim awoke to the sensation of a penis in her vagina and felt a number of “short thrusts which lasted a minute”.

“She said she was in shock. She saw the accused standing there and his penis was erect. He digitally penetrated her with more than one finger. She said stop after she was awoken. He continued to do so,” said Mr McCormack.

The prosecuting barrister said Kila tried to kiss the victim by holding her jaw.

“She told him to f*** off,” said Mr McCormack.

Kila and a number of others left the apartment. The barrister said that the victim was very upset and told her friends, “I just kept saying no”.

Gardai were contacted and an investigation commenced. The victim was taken to a sexual assault treatment unit. While she was there on the following day she received a text message from Kila which read “I didn’t mean to upset you”; her “wellbeing was important to him” and concluded with “I want to make sure you are OK”.

Kila was arrested by gardai, interviewed three times but nothing of evidential value was garnered. Kila gave a prepared statement to gardai in which he said there was consensual kissing and digital preparation.

The doctor was later charged and found guilty by a jury on Thursday.

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The woman read out her own victim impact statement this Friday morning in the witness box, located just feet from the man who had raped and sexually assaulted her. She said she was making this statement so the court can understand the lasting impact the defendant's actions have had on her life.

She said she is a nurse, a daughter, a sister and a friend. 

“The night I was raped and sexually assaulted by Louay Kila did not end there. It was the beginning of a daily struggle that I have endured for the last two years. What he did to me has changed my life in ways I struggle to put into words.”

The woman said she got the role she had wished for in UHL.

She said she "was physically sick walking into the hospital after the incident".

"That changed my career. The career I had worked so hard for and had overcome so many obstacles to complete."

She said she was no longer able to work in the hospital "or deliver effective patient care as I was constantly looking over my shoulder hoping that Louay Kila wasn't nearby".

Due to the circumstances, she was offered a transfer to another healthcare setting.

“I felt I had no option other than to take this as Louay was still working as a doctor in UHL,” she said.

Since the incident she was diagnosed with PTSD and put on antidepressants “just to cope with the trauma”. 

“I live in a state of constant anxiety and fear, and I often get flashbacks of what happened to me. I am often woken with nightmares of the incident happening repeatedly to the stage where I refused to sleep out of fear and again had to be medicated. 

“For a long time, I was afraid to leave my house as I was terrified that I would run into the man who raped me. I felt unsafe in places I shouldn't have to worry about, one being UHL. I realised that no matter how badly I or a family member needed medical attention I couldn't get it for them at our local hospital and had to think of alternative routes.”

She said for the last two years she has struggled with fear and trauma. 

“There were many days where I felt overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted and simply trying to survive. When I had to take time off work that impacted me not only financially but psychologically. I felt I had to ignore my friends who were reaching out because that would mean that I must tell them what happened and I wasn't ready for that. I felt like I was hiding from my friends and family to protect them.

“I also feared for the patients of UHL. I knew that I had gotten out of the hospital but what about those who were left behind? I feared something similar could happen to someone else and knew that I would be taking on the guilt of not having done enough if it did. I tried and the gardai tried to consult UHL but to no avail. 

“My job is to care for patients, and I felt like a failure because I knew this man was delivering care to vulnerable people and I knew what he was capable of doing to people in vulnerable positions.”

She said what the defendant did to her has had a lasting impact. 

“It has taken away my sense of safety, my confidence and my ability to trust men. As I've said, I am a strong woman, and I have spent the last two years rebuilding myself piece by piece after what was done to me. Healing from this will take time and the impact of this will stay with me for the rest of my life. But I will heal from this, and I will be a stronger more resilient version of myself. I will never let that man take that away from me.”

The victim turned around in the witness box to look at Kila when she said: “To my rapist, I stood up and I am holding you accountable for your actions and I got justice. I hope to be an inspiration for any woman who has dealt with an incident like this and encourage them to stand up and hold their rapists accountable. 

“No matter what fear I felt or how difficult this process was, I wasn't going to let you abuse me further by letting you get away with it. I stand here on behalf of any woman who has been raped or sexually assaulted and was too afraid to report it. We are people, not objects and we deserve to be treated as such. No means no.”

The victim said she wanted the court to recognise that this crime did not just affect her in that moment. 

“It has affected my health, my livelihood, my family life, my potential relationships and my sense of self. It has been so hard on my immediate family in trying to deal with and understand what I have been going through so that they can support me. It continues to affect me daily and I know that it will do so for a very long time.”

She concluded by saying that no sentence "can undo what has been done to me, but I hope the court recognises the seriousness of harm" that has been caused and “the lasting impact the defendant's actions have had on my life".

“I want to thank the gardai for their help in bringing my assailant to justice, the victim support service for their kindness, empathy and understanding, the DPP and the legal team for prosecuting this case successfully and all those involved in closing this chapter in my story.”

Kila was represented by Liam Carroll BL, instructed by solicitor Daniel Kreith.

Mr Carroll said they were “serious charges” and Kila being a doctor “failed his obligation to her (victim)”.

In mitigation, Mr Carroll said Kila is from Morocco, was educated in Sudan, worked in United Arab Emirates before moving to Ireland where he was a senior house officer before being promoted to registrar. Mr Carroll said Kila supported his family in Morocco from his salary. He said his client has no previous convictions in Ireland or elsewhere in the world.

The barrister told the judge that Kila was suspended from working as a doctor and has been “in a form of purgatory since”.

“He could not work, could not leave the country - he has been frozen in time. Ultimately this will have catastrophic consequences for his career,” said Mr Carroll.

Judge Sean Gillane commended the victim and said he had a lot to think about. He adjourned sentencing Kila to next Friday, March 13. The accused was remanded in continuing custody.

If you have been affected by this story please contact the 24 Hour Rape Crisis Helpline on 1800 778888 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800666111.