JOE CRONIN,
Madam, - As senior members of the Ballymaloe House and Ballymaloe Cookery School staff, we feel that following the recent media coverage it would be wrong for us to stay silent any longer.
We in no way excuse or condone Tim Allen's behaviour. We abhor child pornography, or indeed any pornography, and that is why we gave gardaí our full support and cooperation during Operation Amethyst. During the months that followed we each have had to try to come to terms with the consequences.
We expected media coverage due to Darina Allen's high profile, but the scale and tone of some of the media coverage has been cruel and unjust. Tim was the one who was charged; he pleaded guilty and will have to live with the shame for the rest of his life. He has admitted this in court and since.
We feel that we must also put on record that the Tim Allen we know and have worked with for many years is a good, kind, generous, loving, considerate and patient man. We have, and are going through a range of emotions - disbelief, anger, hurt and sorrow.
The Ballymaloe enterprises have been built up with the hard work and dedication of family and staff over the past 40 years, and we the staff are very proud of the business we have helped to create. "Ballymaloe" employs 200 staff; in some cases several generations of the same family continue to work here.
The economy of East Cork benefits greatly from the Ballymaloe enterprises. The Allens have been good employers and friends to us in times of need.
The term "trial by media" is not new, but until now we have to say we did not understand the full meaning or the implications. We believe that the Allen family should now be allowed to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and that we should be allowed to get on with our jobs.
We have seen the pain and agony which the Allen family have had to endure since May and we offer them our continued support and love. We also thank our customers and friends for their words of encouragement which we deeply appreciate. - Yours, etc.,
JOE CRONIN,
RITA CRONIN,
MAURA DALY,
OLIVE O'CONNELL
MOTHERWAY,
JANE BROWN,
ADRIENNE FORBES,
ROSALIE DUNNE,
HAULIE WALSH,
EILEEN O'DONOVAN,
ANNE O'CONNELL,
SUZANNE SLOANE,
Ballymaloe House and
Cookery School,
Shanagarry,
Co Cork.
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Madam, - As a Cork-woman working and living in Asia I feel I have to express my horror and disgust at the outcome of the Tim Allen case. Living in this part of the world opens one's eyes to the extent and the reaches of what is known as the sex industry. The daily exploitation of women and girls as young as 12 can be seen in the sex "service" industry that is available on the side of any road here in Taiwan.
It doesn't matter whether it was Tim Allen or anyone else involved in this case. What is important, and what has to be criticised in the severest manner, is the sentence given for the proven possession of pornographic images of children as young as five involved in sexual acts.
How will this dirty money be received by the children in Calcutta? Is it not a cynical demonstration that once again, in our allegedly civilised society, the life and soul of a child can be purchased for the price of a package holiday to Spain? - Yours, etc.,
NESSA CRONIN,
Da Yeh University,
Taiwan.
Madam, - The front page of your edition of January 17th carried a photograph of the entire Allen family on their way to the court where Mr Tim Allen was to face prosecution, with each family member identified in the caption.
While the inevitable publicity attendant upon criminal conviction may be deemed necessary in order that justice be seen to be done, it is neither reasonable nor just for the media glare to include innocent family members.
Your Editorial of the following day was a balanced and humane appraisal of the legal issues involved in the case. The same standards should apply to all sections of the newspaper, and particularly to photographic material.
Neither the nature of the crime, nor the social prestige of the criminal, should entitle journalists to dispense with the basic professional requirement of respect.- Yours, etc.,
Dr ORLA HALPENNY,
Queen's Park,
Monkstown,
Co Dublin.
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Madam, - Your Editorial of January 18th brought balance to bear on a highly emotional subject. Much of the media coverage has been inspired by righteous indignation and hysteria, leading in turn to many abusive calls being made to Ballymaloe House.
You sensibly pointed out that the sentence was not unreasonable in the light of the legal interpretation governing the nature of the offence, and bearing in mind previous sentences passed down. I would contend, having known Tim Allen and his family for many years, that there is a very low likelihood of him re-offending and he will carry extreme social sanction for the rest of his life.
Moral relativity applies. Allen merely looked at pornography, but for many years Irish children were actually abused by Roman Catholic clergy and more than one bishop turned a blind eye to this active paedophilia. But by and large public and media reaction was not as singularly savage as the treatment Tim Allen received. Furthermore, scores of PIRA murderers of innocent children, women and men were released from prisons with hardly a murmur from the press.
Tim Allen has fully accepted the inexcusable and awful nature of what he did and he made no excuses. We know pornography is relentlessly pushed on e-mail users. It is those who make and push pornography who first need to be stopped, and stopped now. Tim Allen's actions were reprehensible. But he has been demonised by abusive media language, his life has been wrecked, his wife's business damaged, the lives of his children and his generous, big-hearted, extended family have been blighted forever. Is this not punishment enough? - Yours, etc.,
ROBIN BURY,
Military Road,
Killiney,
Co Dublin.
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Madam, - It would be regrettable if the Government's proposal to amend the law to enable the DPP to appeal District Court sentencing was in any way influenced by the publicity surrounding the Allen case. It was the DPP's decision to allow the case to be heard in the District Court in the first place, having all the facts at his disposal, and knowing the maximum penalties which that court could hand down.
Opinion polls in newspapers, or on radio and televison, have no place in such matters. The non-politicisation of our judicial system has always been one of our country's strengths. Long may it continue. - Yours, etc.,
R. HEAGNEY,
Duncarraig,
Sutton,
Dublin 13.