Confidential settlement in workplace sexual assault claim in Ireland

Workplace sexual assault case overview

Philip Treacy of Coleman Legal secured a confidential settlement on behalf of a person who was sexually assaulted in the workplace by a manager in Ireland. The settlement was reached without admission of liability following two years of proceedings. Our client suffered significant psychological harm as a result of the assault and required the support of an independent expert throughout the litigation. The case was resolved in November 2024.

Our client was a person in their early thirties who was employed in Ireland at the time of the assault. They had been working in a professional environment and had no reason to anticipate what occurred. The person responsible for the assault was a manager with a position of authority over our client, a factor that compounded the personal impact of what happened and made the experience of continuing in or returning to employment significantly more difficult.

Sexual assault by a manager in the workplace

Our client was sexually assaulted in the workplace by a manager. The workplace sexual assault caused significant psychological harm that affected our client’s personal and professional life in the period that followed. The experience of being assaulted by a person in a position of authority within their working environment created additional difficulties for our client in terms of their ability to continue in employment and to manage the ongoing psychological consequences of what had happened to them.

Coleman Legal examined the full circumstances of the workplace sexual assault and the basis on which our client’s employer could be held responsible in civil proceedings. In Ireland, an employer can be held vicariously liable under the Civil Liability Act 1961 for the wrongful acts of its employees and managers where those acts are sufficiently connected to the employment relationship. Where a person in a position of authority uses that position to commit an assault, Irish courts have considered the circumstances in which vicarious liability attaches to the employing organisation.

Psychological impact of the assault

An independent expert was instructed to assess the nature and extent of the psychological harm our client had sustained as a direct result of the assault. Expert evidence of this kind is central to establishing the full impact of the injury in civil proceedings and to ensuring that the damages sought reflect the actual consequences for the individual. The applicable limitation period for a claim against an employer in Ireland is governed by the Statute of Limitations 1957 and the Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Acts 1991 and 2000, which provide that proceedings must be brought within two years from the date of the assault or from the date of knowledge, whichever is later.

Expert evidence and legal proceedings

The proceedings were resolved within two years of first instruction with a confidential settlement, reached without admission of liability by our client’s employer. While the settlement was made without admission of liability, it represented a conclusion to proceedings that had arisen from a serious assault in the workplace and provided our client with recognition of the harm they had suffered. Our client was able to bring the litigation to a close and focus on their recovery.

Confidential settlement reached

Philip Treacy of Coleman Legal acted for our client from the first instruction through to settlement. He guided our client through the process of bringing civil proceedings arising from a workplace sexual assault, a situation that requires particular sensitivity given the personal nature of the harm involved and the fact that the defendant was our client’s employer. Philip instructed an independent expert, managed the proceedings over two years, and ensured that our client was kept fully informed at each stage. The case was resolved by settlement without the need for a full hearing.

Confidential legal advice for workplace sexual assault claims