Madam, – I wish to register my complete abhorrence at the behaviour in the “Listowel” case of some of my fellow Kerrymen.
The great north Kerry writer, John B Keane, demonstrated in his plays the tribal silences and judgments, especially towards women, which ruined so many lives. We, in 21st-century Ireland, had hoped that this sort of gendered judgment was a thing of the past. I grew up a few miles from Listowel and I know it to be a welcoming, warm, friendly place.
Most of its inhabitants, I am sure, stand with me in condemning the behaviour of those ignorant, biased few, who shook the hand of a convicted sex offender and, in the process, judged and demeaned his victim. A man was found guilty of a heinous crime by a jury of his peers, a young woman has been vindicated for her courageous stand; I heartily commend her for her bravery and hope she will be an inspiration to victims of rape or sexual assault to come forward. Too often these women and men remain silent.
We know from studies that a tiny percentage of victims report these crimes and an even smaller percentage proceed to trial. Part of the reason for this is the judgmental attitude towards victims that, unfortunately, remains in many parts of Ireland, rural and urban, and among all classes and genders.
Perhaps the lessons of this case will help us, as a nation, come to terms with our remaining prejudices about sex crimes and to excise them from our national psyche, once and for all. – Yours, etc,