Minister sought early release of child rapist

A second Clare TD, Minister of State Tony Killeen, yesterday came in for criticism over representations made seeking the early release of a convicted child rapist.

Mr Killeen confirmed that his constituency office wrote on two occasions to Minister for Justice Michael McDowell requesting the early release of Joseph Nugent (74).

The Minister of State for Labour Affairs confirmed the representations ahead of a formal response to a Freedom of Information request by The Irish Times seeking copies of any representations made by Clare's TDs to Mr McDowell in relation to Nugent and other prisoners.

Last October, Pat Breen of Fine Gael was criticised after it emerged he placed a Dáil question inquiring into the possibility of an early release for Nugent.

Nugent was jailed five years ago and is currently serving two sentences of six years and one sentence of three years, all to run concurrently, in the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise and is due for release with normal remission on February 9th, 2008.

Imposing a sentence of six years in November 2002, Judge Brian McMahon said Nugent had acted in a premeditated and predatory nature for his own self-gratification and beastly pleasure and that the abuse on a neighbour, who was aged eight when the abuse started, involved the use of physical violence by an adult on a young child.

Mr Killen said yesterday that he had spoken to the two victims in the case and had agreed to a request from one of them for a meeting in the coming days.

He said: "I have conveyed my unreserved apologies to the victims in this particular case. I greatly regret any distress this action and the consequent rehashing of events may have caused the victims."

Mr Killeen said the representations by his constituency office were made in good faith, but without his consent.

He said the representations were made in May and September 2005 on behalf of Nugent after his relatives expressed concern over the jailed man's deteriorating health and an alleged assault on him in prison.

The furore over Mr Breen tabling the Dáil question occurred last October, and Mr Killeen wrote to Mr McDowell on November 10th "requesting that the representations be withdrawn, over personal concerns that the letters issued by my office may have sought Nugent's possible early release, rather than addressing the state of his health and his safety following an alleged attack in prison, as I had instructed".

Mr Killeen said his constituency office had issued more than 220,000 letters and it was clear to him now that some errors had been made.

Director of One-in-Four Colm O'Gorman said: "It is never appropriate for public representatives to seek early release particularly in the case of Joseph Nugent where the sentence was very light. That sentence wasn't just and for a TD to seek the early release is upsetting to the victim."

One of Nugent's two victims, a 47-year old west Clare man said yesterday: "It isn't for my good that he is apologising, it is for his own good ahead of the election.

"I would like to know why his early release was sought because Nugent has never shown any remorse for the crimes he did."