The family of a woman who committed suicide after allegedly being sexually assaulted by a man who saw her in a church wants the Northern Ireland Police (PSNI) to review her case.
It comes amid new claims that the man may have engaged in other “predatory behavior.”
Shauna Reilly of Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, was 23 when she died by suicide in 2016. Seven weeks later, her sister Michelle (33), who could no longer live without her, also committed suicide.
The alleged abuser contacted Shauna online after seeing her at a church she usually didn’t attend.
He spoke of his faith and persuaded her to allow him to visit her home – but it is alleged that instead of praying, he dragged Shauna upstairs, assaulted her and bruised her arms.
The man was arrested and questioned by police about the alleged assault, but initially denied it. When a forensic examination confirmed there had been “penetration”, he admitted to having sex with Shauna – but insisted it was “consensual”, a claim her family rejects.
Now the family’s lawyer has written to the PSNI asking for Shauna’s file to be reopened.
Barry O’Donnell of KRW Law in Belfast said he understood the man “may have been involved in similar predatory behavior towards other young women, which was reported to the police.”
He added: “We respectfully request that the investigation and evidence be reviewed and that our client be updated accordingly.”
The mystery surrounding the circumstances of Shauna’s last few months alive was discovered by her mother Jacqueline when she found her daughter’s diary and cell phone.
Shauna, who was frail, was dependent on alcohol and turned to faith to help her recover.
On her phone were dozens of messages from the man, who described himself as a member of a church, offering to “help” her.
One message read: “Tell me about your trust in the Lord, Shauna. Let me know if you’d like to pray sometime, Shauna.’
Sometimes I feel physically sick in my stomach and want to cry
Another read: “If you want me to call to pray after tea, just let me know.”
In her journal, Shauna expressed her fear of not being believed, her fear of what she had been through, and her suicidal thoughts.
‘I can not talk. I search for words, but the words in my vocabulary are everywhere. It’s impossible. I think writing helps me. But it clearly hasn’t helped enough,” Shauna wrote.
“Even if I think about it when I start talking — my head goes there, I panic, I feel sick — it’s just an awful feeling. I think that’s why it’s so hard for me to talk.”
Her diary entries show the impact it had on her mental health.
“Sometimes I feel physically sick in my stomach and want to cry,” she wrote.