Skip to main content
Skip to main navigation
Skip to talk navigation

Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Saved Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

AIBU?

to think these Gardai (Police) are the scum of the earth?

119 replies

MadMags · 05/04/2011 19:18

Hello all,

First time posting. I'm that horrified that I've come out of lurk-land for this.

Background:

Gardai (Police) in Mayo, Ireland arrest 2 women who are protesting at the site of Shell Oil. One of the women had a video camera. While the women were being escorted to the station in Gardai cars, the video camera continued to record in a car which held a Sergeant as well as other policemen.

When the woman got her camera back the next day she reviewed the material and heard the entire conversation from the car, although the screen is mostly back since the camera was in a bag. The gardai, instigated by the sergeant make several references to raping one of the women!

Bascially, along the lines of Sergeant: "give me your name and address or I'll rape you". Garda: "Ah now Jim, she's been living in that crusty camp, you wouldn't know what you'd catch".

And several other comments along the lines of "give me your name or I'll rape you" and "I'll rape you anyway".

There is a video and the conversation in question is at about 13 minutes, 30 seconds in.

vimeo.com/21952231

Sorry this is so long but I am OUTRAGED! This is disgusting. I'm shocked and can't help but feel that I would hate to have to report a vile, sexual assault to these "men". I'm not sure yet what will happen to the gardai in question.

I am surely not BU!

OP posts:

Report

MadMags · 05/04/2011 19:20

Sorry! A Garda Ombudsman investigation is being launched.

www.rte.ie/news/2011/0405/corrib.html

OP posts:

AyeRobot · 05/04/2011 19:33

How disgusting. And depressing.

Hope they throw the book at them.

MadMags · 05/04/2011 19:33

f

OP posts:

MadMags · 05/04/2011 19:35

Sorry not sure what that F is about!

I agree AR I am sickened but from our lovely Garda history there will be absolutely nothing done about this. There was nothing done about the horrendous garda brutality people experienced at nearly every protest event in this country for as long as I can remember!

OP posts:

working9while5 · 05/04/2011 19:54

I think the rape comment is very wrong but I do think it was meant as a joke about the fact that the protestors were doing all that "let me go, let me go" stuff when they were being arrested e.g. a comment on how precious they were being.

This does not condone it

However, I am more shocked and horrified at the fact that, in general, they sound like uneducated sweary oafs that make all the stereotypes about thicko Irish folk sound true. I absolutely hate hearing this fuckin dis fucking dat fucking yeah I do be on de facebook nonsense from supposed professionals. They are idiots and they'll be done for it, I do believe, because they talk against the rulebook and the Inspector's decision, not for the "joke".

Overall, very depressing.

MadMags · 05/04/2011 19:58

Yes working, I agree that they thought they were making hilarious jokes and I am sure there will be a lot of "boys will be boys" opinions doing the rounds (not you, just in general!)

It just saddens me, particularly in their profession, that they would even find a rape reference remotely funny. Especially the sergeant!

OP posts:

FabbyChic · 05/04/2011 19:59

Report your thread, and give the tape to the newspapers.

working9while5 · 05/04/2011 20:01

Apparently the media in Ireland have been sitting on it! That is worse..

GloriaSmut · 05/04/2011 20:03

It's not just the guards y'know. I've heard some astonishingly inappropriate comments from peelers in England.

MadMags · 05/04/2011 20:03

Yes Fabby the media are fully aware and only because the video I linked is doing the rounds on Facebook are people finding out about this (terrible grammar!)

They are covering it now alright but I will be massively surprised if any proper action is taken against these clowns :(

OP posts:

GloriaSmut · 05/04/2011 20:03

PS. Not that I am suggesting any inappropriate comments are reasonable.

MadMags · 05/04/2011 20:05

:) I assumed you weren't Gloria!

OP posts:

Rhinestone · 05/04/2011 20:05

Well what do you expect from Ireland? It's still a misogynistic theocracy.

MadMags · 05/04/2011 20:07

I expect our police force to maintain a sense of respect, propriety and professionalism Rhinestone. It will only remain a misogynistic theocracy while it's tolerated and hushed up. Since the Murphy report, the people of Ireland have taken massive steps away from the stronghold of the church. Hopefully people won't take this lying down!

OP posts:

Rhinestone · 05/04/2011 20:09

Mad - I'm not defending them, far from it! I'm just not surprised yet I do find it depressing that Ireland is still the way it is and the Catholic church has a bloody lot to answer for.

MadMags · 05/04/2011 20:12

Oh I know Rhinestone, I was agreeing with you (I think). Will remember to tone down the aggression :)

I can see it now, the slap on the wrist, the tut-tutting about the silly oul guards horsing around...and the women in Mayo who will have to deal with these men.

OP posts:

Rhinestone · 05/04/2011 20:15

Quite. It's all slaps on the back, a nod and a wink and 'good craic' isn't it.

femalevictormeldrew · 05/04/2011 20:30

I just read about that before I came on here and I was disgusted and pretty shocked. I really wouldn't want to think that my safety and security is in the hands of these people. Probably said as a joke, but a very, very bad one, and I am sure they have female relatives and would not like it to be said about them

MadMags · 05/04/2011 20:38

Exactly FVM - I can't stop thinking about somebody being assaulted and relying on these people to help them through it. Rape is never a joke, even when you're with your friends, and especially when your job is to serve and protect.

OP posts:

nijinsky · 05/04/2011 22:24

Sadly, doesn't surprise me. Every time I've been to Ireland, and most of the Irish men I've met, have been utter misogynisits who behave really badly and see nothing wrong with it. Maybe I've just been unlucky in the ones I've met. But this is the country which doesn't permit abortion, and in which a 12 year old child who had been raped by a relative a few years back was prevented from travelling to the UK for an abortion. If the police are so corrupt, what hope is there of complaints being treated consistently and reliably?

messymammy · 05/04/2011 22:29

disgraceful comment but the whole force cant be tarred with the one brush.bad eggs everywhere etc.
its really a disgusting hurtful harmful comment.

carelesswhispers · 05/04/2011 22:44

What kind of message does it send out to real rapists out there?
I heard this on newstalk this morning & it sickened me
tbh

DioneTheDiabolist · 05/04/2011 22:50

I have found the Gardai to be lazy, inefficient and corrupt. The fact that they are misogynists does not surprise me in the least. Most of them should be arrested and charged with Impersonating A Police Officer.

WinterOfOurDiscountTents · 06/04/2011 00:03

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

Rhinestone · 06/04/2011 01:57

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by Mumsnet.

Flip

1 2 3 4 5

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.