Interview with Bláthnaid Raleigh

[bythebanksof]

Just an FYI for those that might have missed it. Bláthnaid is just such a powerful speaker :)

https://x.com/RTERadio1/status/1808418252659241137

Thank you for that @bythebanksof

What an horrendous attack.

I wonder how the people in Mullingar didn't know what Jonathan Moran had done before the court case ?
Post the attack but pre the trial he continued living his life as normal.

How could you keep that quiet in a town ?
Bláthnaid Raleigh and her brothers left the rugby club they were all members of.
Wouldn't members wonder why ?
Surely her friends she was with would know she was attacked and by whom ?

Bláthnaid was so brave to go public.

She is so brave. I can't even imagine the nightmare she has gone through. What I always wonder in these situations is did he get away with this previously? Has he done this to another woman? The arrogant bastard obviously thought he'd get away with it.

I was not directly involved in this case. So we don't know.

What I always wonder in these situations is did he get away with this previously?

1. typically, YES

Has he done this to another woman?

1. typically, YES

Based on experience, working in both the UK and ROI, it is very rare these are isolated incidents. But who knows in this instance? There would often be previous prior reports for an individual, the person will have a reputation and so on. Of course that is (almost) never revealed to the jury. For example, see the recent taxi driver conviction in Dublin.

And Helen Mc Entee is still spouting on about what is going to be done to make things better, before the summer recess.

Yeah right !!

Fine Gael have had long enough in government to change things and they haven't bothered.

It was a stupid move shutting so many Garda stations and cutting Garda numbers post the 2008 economic crash.

Sod all will change while Helen McEntee is the Minister for Justice, she's inept.

The full interview is now available here. It's really worth a listen. https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22412675/

I've known many people through similar over the years, but I've never heard it articulated and explained so well in an accessible manner. Her interview will help so so many people.

@deeahgwitch @honeyrider I've been in meetings with Minister McEntee. I personally have zero faith in her, really ZERO, she is what she is. However, it is unfair to directly blame her for the situation. Things need to change at a societal level in Ireland, no single minster can drive the scale of change needed.

I dont think it was known in the town. I'd can imagine the family stayed quite dignified to give Blaithnaid the best chance of justice and give her privacy. It's a testament to they type of people they . And he was obviously not going to be telling people about it so I think that's why it wasn't well known in the town

It was quite an achievement on the part of Bláthnaid's family staying quiet about the horrific attack.
I'm quite sure they would have wished for physical retribution- I know I and my family would.
The gall of him remaining in the town, in the rugby club after what he did.

We need other men to stand up and state they are sick of their sex attacking women and that all men are not like that and won't tolerate it.

As Simon Harris said. ".........it is incumbent on men to take leadership positions and not allow the worst of us to speak for the rest of us.
Every time we see or hear misogynistic behaviour or commentary we need to call it out. Silence can be perceived as agreement.."
👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

A powerful interview sensitively handled. In fairness the young man who came to her aid in the aftermath of the attack brought her to safety and ensured that the guards were able to collect the evidence that secured the rapists conviction.
On the other hand...the rugby club..ugh

She was interviewed on Newstalk today. She was correct in saying they walk amongst us.