Sir, – As a retired army officer for the past 33 years, I cannot but feel ashamed of the Defence Forces as an establishment and its treatment of the army women as portrayed in the RTÉ radio documentary, Women of Honour.
The very idea of such shameful behaviour by Defence Forces personnel is unbelievable and unacceptable in every way .
The lenient treatment and toleration shown to the alleged perpetrators is beyond belief. The account [in the documentary] of an incident in an officers’ mess is barbaric and the perpetrator and case should have been dealt with by the civil authorities as a criminal case and not by military law and the Defence Act as it does not provide adequately for such.
It is unbelievable that the alleged perpetrator of the above incident be allowed to continue to serve as a commissioned officer. The status of a commissioned officer being an “officer and a gentleman” no longer applies.
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Proper respect, decorum and behaviour has always been required of all officers. The treatment as portrayed in Women of Honour brings shame on all officers, serving and retired.
Disgrace and dishonour belongs to the perpetrators and those who tolerated and treated them with leniency.
The Defence Act and the provisions of military law should not be used as a defence for criminal behaviour.
– Yours, etc,
MICHAEL E McGRATH,
Comdt (Retd).
Charlestown, Co Mayo.