Henrique Freitas: “this will be our secret” after assaulting a student
Asked only to drive a 19-year-old Leaving Cert student to collect her schoolbag, the Portuguese national diverted to his apartment, forcibly removed her clothes and committed an escalating sexual assault.
The victim trusted Henrique Freitas to take her to retrieve a schoolbag. He instead brought her to the apartment he shared with his wife and children, who were away, and converted that trust into an escalating sexual attack.
A lift became an assault
On 6 March 2022, Freitas drove the student to his apartment. While she sat on a couch, he suddenly and forcibly removed her shoes and trousers, made oral contact and digitally penetrated her.
She froze during the unwanted onslaught. When she told him to stop and pushed him away, he climbed on top of her and attempted to kiss her. He stopped after she again demanded that he take her home.
“This is our secret”
When Freitas dropped her off, he told her that what happened would be their secret. Instead, her sister reported the assault to Gardaí that day and the victim attended the sexual-assault treatment unit in Cork for forensic examination.
Freitas initially told Gardaí that nothing had happened and expressed surprise at the allegation. His DNA was recovered from the student's bra and an intimate area of her underwear. He later pleaded guilty.
The impact before the Leaving Certificate
The attack occurred three months before the victim's Leaving Certificate examinations. She described feeling frightened, humiliated, dirty and stripped of her former confidence. She said she broke down on the morning of one examination and later experienced frightening suicidal thoughts.
Sentence and attempted plea reversal
Judge Francis Comerford found that Freitas had committed a series of escalating acts that formed one serious sexual-assault offence and had shown complete disregard for consent.
The court imposed 36 months and suspended the final eight, leaving an active term of two years and four months. Freitas had no previous convictions. His credit for the guilty plea was reduced because he had applied to reverse it after formally entering it. He was also placed on the sex-offenders register.
Nationality and status distinction
Freitas was identified in court reporting as a Portuguese national who had lived in Ireland for some time and worked in Foynes. No source reviewed establishes unlawful residence, an asylum claim, a deportation order or a removal decision. This file therefore makes none of those claims.
Case chronology
- 6 March 2022: Freitas sexually assaults the student after diverting to his apartment.
- The same day: Her sister reports the offence and the victim attends a specialist unit.
- During investigation: His DNA is recovered from her clothing and underwear.
- Before sentencing: He pleads guilty, then unsuccessfully seeks to withdraw that plea.
- 2 October 2025: He receives 36 months with the final eight suspended.
A transparent cost illustration
The Irish Prison Service reported a 2024 average of €99,072 per available staffed prison space, excluding capital expenditure. Applying that benchmark to the 28-month active term gives a conditional illustration of €231,168.
This is not a case invoice. Actual custody, remission, historic rates and marginal spending differ. It excludes Garda, forensic examination, prosecution, courts, legal aid, counselling and victim-support costs.