THE FINE Gael North Kerry TD Jimmy Deenihan has called for an end to any intimidation of the woman at the centre of the Listowel sex assault case.
Mr Deenihan is the first senior politician in Kerry to comment on the controversy, which has gripped the country since the sentencing of bouncer Danny Foley (35) for sexual assault on Wednesday last at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee.
After Foley was sentenced to seven years with the final two years suspended, a queue of up to 50 people, mainly men, sympathised openly with him.
His victim has claimed she was intimidated by his supporters both at the hearing and also by people in Listowel.
Mr Deenihan said Listowel was not the kind of town that would allow a woman to be ostracised.
“Listowel is a caring, compassionate town. This girl will not be ostracised. She will get every support possible,” he said.
Earlier Fine Gael councillor Tim O’Leary also expressed his support for the woman and reassured her she would receive support.
And Fianna Fáil councillor John Brassil said he was confident that the people of Listowel would support the victim. He said Listowel should not be judged on the basis of this case.
At the weekend, Fine Gael councillor Jackie Barrett-Madigan said the people of Listowel were aggrieved that the good name of their town was being damaged because of the case. “It’s very unfair on Listowel,” she said.
“Unfortunately in the society we are living in, this horrific activity is taking place all over the country. Why target the good name of Listowel?”
Until yesterday no politician had supported the woman publicly, despite several calls to local councillors by journalists.
The woman at the centre of the case continues to receive counselling from the Kerry Rape Crisis and Sexual Support Centre. The centre said it would not comment further on the matter following a press conference given by the victim on Saturday.
At the conference, the woman told the media she had been shunned in the town and had been refused service in a chip shop where Foley had worked, following the conviction.
She said she had felt the courtroom was full of people who supported him and were against her. Some of the men who had queued to shake hands with Foley stared at her and gave her “dirty looks” as they walked by, she said.
While the woman said the whole experience was “terrible”, she said she was not sorry she went to court.
She encouraged any other victim to come forward and report an assault and said there was support out there for people who had been attacked in this way.
“When you say ‘no’, no is no and whoever won’t take ‘no’ for an answer, they are taking advantage,” she said.
Foley has lodged an appeal against his conviction.