Light sentencing in Ireland re crime

[LadyEloise1]

Anyone else sick of the light sentences given in Ireland for crime.
I've just seen that a man who raped and sexually abused his youngest sister starting when she was 6 and he was 12 was given 7 and a half year sentence for the rapes. He was given consecutive sentences totalling 5 years for the sexual assaults but the judge decided that sentence would run concurrently with the 7 year term. FFS !!!
Apparently his remorse (yeah right ), the fact he pleaded guilty and he had no previous convictions were mitigating factors. The judge suspended the final 18 months of the sentence, despite the judge saying that the victim was a vulnerable and defenceless child, the offences were humiliating and degrading, that the victim had a right to bodily integrity and that she lived in fear.
Will this child rapist be out in 3 years ?
I am utterly disgusted with this sentence.

Well done @TaTuirseOrm

The same judge gave a lenient sentence to a thug who attacked a homeless man.

Despite Judge Tom O'Donnell saying that the attack was "....absolutely and utterly appalling, and outrageous..." he didn't impose a custodial sentence because the attacker had pleaded guilty early in the case, had no previous convictions and was the youngest of the attackers.
That's a great message to send out to thugs - there are no consequences.

FFS what is wrong with the judiciary!!!!

Justice should be seen to be done.

No wonder law and order has broken down in this country.

We'll get the usual "politician speak" that they can't interfere with judicial decisions.

The politicians should rush through a law that allows them to sack judges who don't seem to know what justice is.

It is a disgrace it really is. We are going back in time instead of forwards.

It's only when I looked more closely at @LadyEloise1's OP that I realised how long ago this thread was started. Will things ever change??? 😭

You ask "Will things ever change?" @TaTuirseOrm

Seeing as we elected almost the same old, same old politicians in the recent Local and European elections I can't see change coming, sadly.
The Government felt vindicated in what they are doing.

Too true @deeahgwitch, sadly I think you're right.

That scumbag tried to blame the victim and only pleaded guilty when cctv showed otherwise.

Natasha was interviewed on Andrea Gilligan's show on Newstalk just after noon and she was asked about appealing it and because it's the average sort of sentence it looks like she hasn't grounds to appeal it. It that's the average sentence then why isn't such violence being treated as it should.

Commandant Paul Togher's photo should be posted all over social media so the public can see the sort of person who enables violence against women. If he was a decent sort of human being he'd have declined giving such an exemplary character reference but then again shit finds it's own level.

I am writing to the DPP to urge them to investigate undue leniency. This is madness. All because the judge didn't want him to lose his job in the DF.

HE SHOULD BLOODY WELL LOSE HIS JOB ... FFS

Here is the email should you choose to join me [email protected]

Well I have had a response from the office of DPP to tell me it's against the law to write to the Director requesting her to appeal a sentence which may be considered unduly lenient (as a member of the general public).

So that's me told! Although I didn't request her to appeal the sentence, I simply said how disgusted I was by it and how I hope and pray it's challenged.

It's get's better.

I am writing to ask them to investigate. Let's see if I get a threatening reply too.

Cross Post there@Kittea. Let us know if you get a response too.

I hope they're getting bombarded @TaTuirseOrm

I got a reply:

Thank you for taking the time to email the Office of the DPP today, 21 June 2024.

I would like to bring to your attention that while the DPP can in certain instances appeal a sentence on the grounds of undue leniency, the Director must be impartial and independent when making her decisions. She cannot therefore consider representations made to her by members of the public for the purpose of influencing decisions in relation to criminal cases.

Under section 2(4) of the Criminal Justice Act, 1993 and section 6 Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 Act, it is against the law to write to the Director requesting her to appeal a sentence which may be considered unduly lenient. Exceptions are made in the case of:

· a victim of crime;
· a family member of a victim of crime;
· a lawyer, doctor or social worker acting on behalf of a client

Therefore, unless you are among the category of persons mentioned, your correspondence cannot be considered by this Office.

I appreciate that you may not have been aware of the above restriction when writing to the Director and I hope this email will help to clarify the situation. You can find more information on the Sentencing and Appeals section of our website and in chapter 11 ‘Prosecution Appeals and Sentence Reviews’ of our Guidelines for Prosecutors.

With kindest regards,

Orlagh Flood
Príomh-oifigeach | Ceann Rialachais & Gnóthaí Poiblí
Principal Officer | Head of Governance & Public Affairs

I have emailed DPP, justice department and defence department

Same as mine @Kittea, the Principal Officer must be busy today!
(Maybe remove her name from your post).

I reckon they have been writing that a lot today

Thank you for taking the time to email the Office of the DPP today, 21 June 2024. I wish to acknowledge your comments to this Office.

This is what got, from DPP

Got this from Department of Defence

Thank you for your email of 21st June concerning the case in which a member of the Defence Forces received a three-year suspended sentence at Limerick Circuit Criminal court on 20 June 2024, following his conviction.

The Tánaiste and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin TD, has unequivocally condemned the vicious and violent assault on Ms O’Brien.

Now that the case has been dealt with in the civil courts, it is a matter for the military authorities to pursue the matter in accordance with the appropriate regulations. The Tánaiste has been assured by the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces that this case is now in the process of being dealt with by the military authorities.

In view of the fact that the judicial process may not yet be complete and that the case is subject to a process being undertaken by the military authorities, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.

Helen McEntee has to be the most useless Minister ever, if she has seen sentencing for assaults continously be too lenient then she should do something about it, bring in a mandatory minimum sentence for assault. Build more prisons so people can actually serve their sentences, get rid of automatic remission for violent crimes

https://www.thejournal.ie/helen-mcentee-assault-sentencing-cathal-crotty-6415706-Jun2024/

She's a disgrace and so inept. She claims Dublin is safe yet flanked by 4 gardai yet her colleague Mary Butler has stated she will not go down Grafton Street at lunchtime as she doesn't feel safe.

Lookit, Helen McEntee has loftier priorities than dealing with crime or sexual/physical assaults properly; she’s on a mission to improve the moral fibre of this country by policing thoughts and speech, which is surely a more fitting and demanding role for a woman of her eminent perspicacity. She knows what’s best for us so we should shut up and do as we’re told 🙄

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 @honeyrider

Your comments re Commandant Paul Togher are particularly apt.
So disappointed with a serving Irish army officer.

Listening to Helen Mc Entee on Clare Byrne RTE 1 Radio - she's in the job long enough she could have done so much more to protect people from
violent thugs and feral youths.

When will the decent Irish people rise up and say enough is enough !!!

Its sentences like this one today that makes all the talking about taking domestic violence seriously just pure posturing. The amount of money they're spending on the new domestic violence agency is like 50m a year but it means nothing when there are no consequences to domestic violence.

I will never understand how some Judges can look themselves in the mirror. Its always just suspended sentences, never even any kind of rehabilitation just promise you won't break the law for a while. You genuinely have more of a chance of getting jail time for a small amount of weed than for violence against women

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/ballydoyle-jockey-escapes-prison-sentence-for-child-cruelty-after-beating-daughter/a358947946.html

https://archive.ph/YMnf4

https://www.thejournal.ie/soldier-who-attacked-woman-has-been-formally-told-he-faces-dismissal-from-the-military-cathal-crotty-6416284-Jun2024/?utm_source=twitter_short

At least he'll probably lose his job.

I will never understand how some Judges can look themselves in the mirror. Its always just suspended sentences, never even any kind of rehabilitation just promise you won't break the law for a while. You genuinely have more of a chance of getting jail time for a small amount of weed than for violence against women

Someone on one of the threads made the comparison with the Declan Flynn case. One of his killers - not really murder said the judge, they couldn't have known kicking his head in would kill him (I wonder what would have been said if Natasha had died?), after walking out with a suspended sentence and a good character reference from a priest, was back in court a few weeks later after after damaging a car he was breaking into. That time he got a (short) custodial sentence.

Two of those killers were in the defence forces (sacked after they got a manslaughter conviction), and one of them was later jailed after a violent rape of pregnant woman.

Has anyone written to Holly Cairns about these matters?
She’s the leader of the Social Democrats and was pushing (and successful) in getting more (younger) women elected to Council posts recently.

Change in public attitudes to violence against women has to start somewhere and I think getting more women actively involved in local politics is key to that change.