The HSE has said it is reviewing the circumstances surrounding its failure to suspend a doctor at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) after it was initially made aware he had raped a nurse who was also working at the hospital.
The HSE Mid West said it is “reviewing all of the circumstances to ensure all appropriate supports were made available to the victim”.
However, it admitted: “Dr Kila should have been suspended from clinical practice when we became aware of the assault.”
Moroccan native, Louay Kila, was a registrar doctor working at UHL when he raped a young nurse after they had both separately been socialising in Limerick city and had later separately gone to the same apartment as part of two groups, on March 2nd, 2024.
Kila (31) continued working as a doctor and was only voluntarily suspended from the list of medical practitioners in Ireland in March 2025, a full year after he raped and sexually assaulted the nurse.
Last week, Kila, with an address at Cois Luachra, Dooradoyle, Limerick, was convicted by a jury following his trial at the Central Criminal Court of raping the woman while she was asleep. He was subsequently sentenced to eight years in prison.
In a statement HSE Mid West said Dr Kila “should have been suspended from clinical practice when we became aware of the assault. The evidence of the victim in this case was clear that our failure to do so added to her suffering”.
“We are sorry for the additional hurt this caused the victim. Our failure to promptly take the appropriate action to make the victim feel safe at work does not reflect current practice and policy.
“In light of the victim impact statement and the evidence heard during this appalling case, we are reviewing all of the circumstances to ensure all appropriate supports were made available to the victim.”
“We are taking this situation extremely seriously and the welfare of our staff remains our priority.”
HSE Mid West said “a range of supports are available to staff who suffer violence or trauma both inside and outside of the workplace”.
It added that “protective measures were put in place for the victim based on her individual requirements following her identification of the assault”.
The victim did not want to waive her legal right to anonymity.
Addressing Kila, she said: “To my rapist, I stood up and I am holding you accountable for your actions and I got justice.”
“I hope to be an inspiration for any woman who has dealt with an incident like this and encourage them to stand up and hold their rapists accountable.”
The woman said before the rape and assault she had been “excited” to be nursing at UHL, but that after the rape she could not return there.
She said she felt “physically sick” walking back into the hospital, where Kila continued working for a time.
“I feared for the patients of UHL, I knew that I had gotten out of the hospital but what about those who were left behind?”
The woman concluded: “I am a strong woman, I will heal from this, and I will be a stronger, more resilient version of myself. I will never let that man take that away from me.”
[ Doctor jailed for eight years for raping nurse as she slept in Limerick apartmentOpens in new window ]