Sir, - I am concerned at the message which lenient sentencing conveys to the perpetrators of sexual abuse on women and children. Three sentences handed down recently in Irish courts are a cause for major concern. In the Kilrush case where a very serious and disturbing sexual assault was committed on a 17-year-old girl by four youths, Superintendent Dwyer described the incident as "horseplay". This was accepted by the judge, who gave a sentence of 200 hours community service to the four men concerned on May 1st.
A two-year sentence was given to Ivan Payne last week who pleaded guilty to 13 sample charges of indecent assault on nine boys aged between 11 and 14. From what I can understand, Judge Kelly said: "There were no allegations of depravity in this case." (The Irish Times, June 24th). Payne destroyed the childhoods of at least nine boys.
Finally, and most recently, we now have the case of the Co Cork school principal who pleaded guilty to 21 sample charges out of 386. What is deeply disturbing in this case are the comments by Judge Murphy that he understood the victims' "need for revenge" (Irish Times, June 26th). These cases are not about revenge but about children's lives being destroyed, the bravery of the victims in bringing the terrible crimes to light and the recognition of such by the judicial system. Whilst there have been many successful prosecutions, and adequate sentences in recent times, cases like these three undermine so much of what has been achieved in Irish courts. I work on a weekly basis with survivors of rape, sexual assault and child sexual abuse. Over the past few weeks, and especially last week, many of these women have been angry, shocked and hurt by these rulings. Many have made the decision not to report. In light of these three rulings, I am not surprised. - Yours, etc., Fiona Neary,
National Network of Rape, Crisis Centres, Augustine Street, Galway.