PDFORRA clashes with rape centre

The general secretary of the soldiers' representative body, PDFORRA, and the director of the Rape Crisis Centre have clashed on the issues raised by the imprisonment of Annette Mangan for falsely accusing three Irish soldiers of rape.

Ms Olive Braiden, director of the Rape Crisis Centre, said on RTE's Morning Ireland yesterday that media attention surrounding the Mangan case would make it less likely that rape victims would report such crimes. Ms Braiden also said her "gut feeling" about the case was that there was more to it than "we know at this time".

However, Mr John Lucey, general secretary of PDFORRA, said anyone suggesting there was more to the Mangan case would have to "be very careful in saying that". He said Ms Braiden's comments were "not good enough really".

He said it was already going to be difficult for the Army and the soldiers involved to shake the taint of the case despite the allegations being withdrawn.

"You cannot put a price on the international goodwill created by our soldiers who are serving abroad. When something like this happens overseas, it's very hard to reverse the damage. The original allegation would have appeared in the papers in Cyprus and not everyone who would have read the original story would have seen the retraction."

On Morning Ireland yesterday, Ms Braiden said she thought the publicity given to the Mangan case was disproportionate. "It's very difficult for her and her family and it will be very difficult for her when she comes home. I think the sentence given was very severe. It's very grave, of course, to accuse someone of such a serious crime as rape, however she did take it back. Other victims who are thinking of going to the Gardai will be afraid that they will be treated with scepticism and suspicion."

Mr Lucey said he did not believe Mangan's conviction would dissuade genuine victims from coming forward.

He said his first reaction on hearing that an Irish holidaymaker had alleged she had been raped by Irish soldiers was sorrow for the apparent victim and disappointment that Irish soldiers would be involved. The allegations had been viewed very seriously by the Army. Cypriot police had reported the original claim to the Irish authorities and the military authorities.

He said unless there were other circumstances in the case which were not in the public domain up to yesterday, he felt little sympathy for Mangan. "An allegation of rape can destroy the reputation of the person against whom the crime is alleged, particularly in the Army."