The manager of the Waterford Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre has welcomed consecutive sentencing in the case of a taxi driver who raped two female passengers on dates in 2022.

Anne Scully of WRSAC said she also welcomed the recognition by the judge in the case of the "vulnerability of women", when he remarked that the case reflected the "unhappy reality" that women "too often become the subject of sexual or other forms of physical violence, or the threat of it, when they go out to simply enjoy themselves".

Taxi driver Raymond Shorten (aged 52), with an address in Clondalkin, was given a 17-year sentence for raping the two women. Last May, he had been separately convicted at the Central Criminal Court of two counts of rape and one of sexual assault of a seven-year-old girl in 2012, including in the days after her mother's funeral.

Earlier this week, Shorten had been sentenced to 13 years for these crimes and yesterday (Thursday) in court, Judge Paul McDermott ordered the new sentence of 17 years run consecutively to the 13-year one which means a total jail term of 30 years for the rapist.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has already promised to implement reforms to the taxi licencing system "as soon as possible" in the wake of the case.

This morning (Friday), 'Deise Today' got the views of Anne Scully who is the Manager of the Waterford Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre.

You can listen back to her chat with Damien by clicking on the image above.