Sir, - The whole country has been horrified by the recent spate of cruel and bloody assaults on women and elderly men. Some of these assaults resulted in the deaths of the victims. People are now asking the questions: "What can be done to stop this brutal carnage?" The professional custodians of law and order in this country, viz., the Gardai, do a reasonably competent job in eventually apprehending these criminals, but what people are now demanding are ways and means of preventing these crimes being committed.
Believing, as I do, that the first law of nature is self preservation, I now suggest that the Government and the Minister for Justice, Ms Owen, and her Department, in particular, should give some serious consideration to providing women and elderly men with some means of personal protection. While the ultimate in personal protection would be to equip people with firearms, perhaps the Minister for Justice and her experts could suggest alternative ways for self protection and preservation.
The need for personal protection is now a very urgent one. It behoves the authorities to give it serious consideration, and come up, without delay, with positive ways in which the vulnerable of our society, women and elderly men can protect themselves against the vicious criminals in our midst. - Yours, etc.
Navan Road,
Dublin 7.