Sir, – Yet again I find it incredible that a man who viciously attacked a young woman is being treated with lenience and is described as being “hitherto of good character, is well regarded and is unlikely to reoffend”. All first offenders are “hitherto of good character” are they not? Many abusers are perceived as being of good character, which is part of how they avoid detection. And as for the “unlikely to reoffend” – that is neither certain nor relevant.
He has offended. If a crime appears to be an anomaly does that make it less of a crime? It seems so.
Perhaps things have changed since I qualified, and “good character” has become redefined in psychological literature. But then I am an avid reader, and I haven’t come across any studies that show deviant and violent sexual behaviour to have been redefined as normal , or indeed as “good”.
Judge Hogan is a learned judge. So I must be wrong to feel I don’t trust the Irish legal system. Clients of mine who have been terrorised, assaulted, raped, and hospitalised by men of hitherto good character must be wrong to be scared that the process of reporting and seeking justice may prove too much of an extra trauma for them to bear.
I am appalled that yet again, we are shown that this fear has very real foundation.
Victims of sexual violence are not guaranteed justice. Not here. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Outrageous verdicts, such as this one, only serves to justify the actions of those who refuse to recognise our courts. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – The six years prison sentence, with five and a half suspended, plus a fine of €75,000, imposed on a man who violently sexually assaulted a young woman near her home in Dublin, is confirmation, if it were needed, that we in this country have the most offender-friendly sentencing regime money can buy. – Yours, etc,