THE CIRCUMSTANCES surrounding the dismissal of an Irish woman from the US embassy in Dublin 25 years ago were “disgraceful”, ” most unsatisfactory” and “hurtful”, the president of the High Court said yesterday.
Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns said the treatment of Ailish Nic Phaidín, who was interrogated before being offered the option of immediate dismissal or resignation from the embassy, was disgraceful and her situation might merit some consideration by the US ambassador and embassy.
Dismissing Ms Nic Phaidín’s case against the Department of Foreign Affairs over its handling of matters arising from her dismissal, the judge said he could do nothing more than express the wish, if the facts of the case were placed before the current US ambassador and the current embassy officials, the matter might even at this stage receive some further consideration.
Ms Nic Phaidín (60) had sued the Minister for Foreign Affairs and the State arising from the alleged handling of matters by the department following her dismissal or forced resignation from the US embassy, Ballsbridge, Dublin, in 1987. She claimed she had been raped that year in the Dublin home of a senior embassy official where she woke up after a drug was put into her drink earlier when she was in the embassy bar.
She also claimed she was pinned to a wall and assaulted on another occasion in the embassy.
Mr Justice Kearns said on the day of Ms Nic Phaidín’s dismissal in February 1987, she was interrogated relating to security which included any possible knowledge of or connection with any communist organisation, terrorist organisation or eastern European countries.
That must have been “a very shocking experience” and, “quite frankly, the manner of her treatment on this particular date I can only describe as disgraceful”.
He said Ms Nic Phaidín was marched out of the embassy with her effects by a marine and he could only imagine the extent of her shock and hurt at being treated in this way. He could not make any assessment whether the allegations of alleged sexual assaults had anything to do with her dismissal as the matters had not been reported to the Garda, he said.
Referring to the handling by the Department of Foreign Affairs of the case, Mr Justice Kearns said he thought any ordinary citizen could only be extremely impressed by the steps taken to try and assist Ms Nic Phaidín by various officials.
While no legal relationship existed between Ms Nic Phaidín and the department, it had gone out of its way to help her. He also found that there was no offer of compensation ever made to Ms Nic Phaidín via the embassy.