A former professional soccer player from Brazil based in West Cork raped a 19-year-old woman in her own bedroom at knifepoint, while making video-recordings and threatening to kill her and her parents. Tiago Damasceno Sousa, age 39, who was living in West Cork for approximately 18 months before the rape on March 29, 2024, pleaded guilty to carrying out the attack. The facts of the case were outlined on Friday at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork. “He held a knife to her and raped her on numerous occasions that morning. She decided to trick him to leave her alone — she agreed to have sex the following day.

Source: Irish Examiner February 06, 2026 18:43 UTC