Public representatives should not give character references for defendants in cases involving sexual exploitation or abuse, the Taoiseach has said.
“I don’t believe that’s acceptable and I don’t think public representatives should do that,” Micheál Martin told reporters on Sunday.
His comments follow a Court of Appeal case in which a judge said it was “quite extraordinary” that a TD and others who provided such references for a former government adviser convicted of sexually exploiting a 13-year-old failed to mention the victim or the “vile nature” of the crime committed.
Judge John Edwards made the comment at a hearing for Daniel Ramamoorthy (40), who was appealing his sentence of two years and four months for exploiting the minor at a Christian children’s camp in 2017.
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Ramamoorthy’s lawyers said the sentence was excessive and argued that the sentencing judge had failed to give sufficient weight to their client’s “exceptional background” and history of public service.
Edwards, sitting with Judge Tara Burns and Judge Patrick McCarthy, noted that numerous character references had been submitted on Ramamoorthy’s behalf, including one from a TD. It was “quite extraordinary”, he said, that not a “single one” mentioned the victim or the “vile nature” of the offending.
McCarthy said the court knew from “bitter experience” that people held in the “highest regard” by society were capable of serious offending.
Ramamoorthy, described in court as a motivational speaker, social media influencer and entrepreneur, had at one point acted as an adviser to the Department of Enterprise on start-ups.
A decision in the case is expected later this month.
Asked at the annual Fianna Fáil 1916 Arbour Hill commemoration in Dublin on Sunday if the TD was a member of his party, Martin replied: “I have no idea who the TD is.”
He noted that “there’s a court case under way, so I don’t want in any way to prejudice the outcome of that”.
But, he added: “If I could say more generally, as a general principle, I don’t believe public representatives should be giving character ... references in terms of, particularly, cases that involve sexual exploitation or sexual abuse or anything of that nature.”
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Asked about the arrest in Dubai of Daniel Kinahan, Martin said: “I can’t comment on that at all and due process will take its course.”
However, he welcomed the extradition arrangements in place since last year with the United Arab Emirates and said they were working effectively.
“I think that’s positive because we work globally with other countries on matters of this kind, and it’s good to see that we have that good sharing of information and operational strength in terms of the relationship.”
