A FORMER Irish ambassador to Turkey, Anthony Mannix, refused to act on repeated complaints of workplace bullying at the Irish Embassy in Ankara and instead attempted to have the alleged victim dismissed, a court in Ankara has been told.
The Ankara labour court heard yesterday that Gul Stout (45) had been subjected to bullying behaviour by the ambassador’s secretary Michele Matthews, and now suffers a range of stress-related ailments that her doctor says are directly related to what has taken place over the past 11 years.
Ms Stout’s husband, Peter Stout, told the court his wife had been subjected to intimidation and racist remarks, including one incident when Ms Matthews was alleged to have said loudly on the telephone, in full hearing of at least two Turkish female staff, that “Turkish women are all whores”.
“After that outburst in 2007 I wrote directly to the Department of Foreign Affairs [DFA],” Mr Stout said. “Two DFA officers from Dublin came and interviewed everyone. They handed in a report that showed that my wife had been bullied. Nothing else happened and the bullying continued.”
Mr Stout said his wife had earlier made repeated complaints about Ms Matthews and that Mr Mannix had told him in writing that three official complaints had been referred to Dublin and disciplinary action was taken against Ms Matthews.
When Mr Stout filed a Freedom of Information request, he was officially told the department had no files on the matter.
“What the ambassador had told my wife and written to me was not true,” Mr Stout said.
Ms Stout then made an official complaint against Mr Mannix which was dismissed by the department. Following that, Mr Mannix moved to have Ms Stout fired, the court heard. “In November 2008, he [Mr Mannix] wrote to the Dublin human resources department and said my wife’s complaints were trivial and dealing with them was a waste of embassy resources. He requested that my wife be dismissed.”
The court heard from Mr Stout the bullying extended to the honorary Irish consul in Istanbul, James Geary, who had joked about Ms Stout’s mental condition in an e-mail sent to all diplomatic staff at the embassy.
When Ms Stout brought up the issue, her complaint was dismissed on grounds the embassy did not want to harm the embassy’s relationship with the honorary consul.
“When my wife started the job in 2000, she had a medical check- up which showed she was totally healthy,” Mr Stout said.
“Now, because of the panic disorder, she cannot use the shower . . . she is afraid of the dark, she suffers from vertigo, eczema and has a hormone imbalance which the doctor has said is because of the stress.
“Before she was very active, involved with our children’s school . . . now she cannot enjoy life. She cannot be involved with the family . . . I would have to say she has lost her appetite for life.”
Ms Stout is seeking damages of two million Turkish lira (€805,000) from the embassy. Neither Mr Mannix nor Ms Matthews now live in Turkey. At a previous hearing, the court refused a request by the embassy that the case be dismissed on the grounds of sovereign immunity.
The case continues.