Brian Curtin- The State Of Enquiry.

by pat c Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:26

"The lack of criminal investigation was due to a technicality, the arresting officer wrongly dated the warrant /commital order."

Actually the warrant was dated ok. But it was a day out of date when it was served on Curtin. Now this raises another question: in a case relating to a Circuit Court Judge surely a senior garda would have checked all documentation to ensure that they were in order.

But yet another question is raised as to why the DPPs Office decided to approve a prosecution when they aware that the warrant served had been faulty. An unsustatinable case proceeded to Court and Curtin was found not guilty. No other charges relating to this case may now be brought against Curtin in the Courts.

At the very least there was incompetence on the part of certain gardai and DPP staff. But so far there has been no investigation into this. A cynic might muse about a conspiracy to ensure that Curtin was not convicted.

by C murray - The Unmans Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:40

Am re-reading the case.

by BIGj Tue Sep 19, 2006 08:34

The interpretation by the trial judge is what was wrong - and is it any surprise? If i said to you at 4pm on saturday that i want to meet you in 7 days what would you do? Would you meet me at 4pm on the following saturday or 4pm on the friday?
If you are a normal person you meet me on saturday, but if you are a member of the professional legal fudge brigade then you meet me sometime on friday.

In this case the Gardai executed a warrant 7 days after the warrant was issued (the law states that they must execute it within 7 days) and the court ( a colleague of Judge Curtin)ruled that the warrant had been executed outside the 7 days allowed by law.

So don't look at the DPP and don't look at the Gardai (although they shouldhave hurried the thing up) look insted at the Jusge in the trial who could have interpreted the law differently and perhaps looked at it as you or I would and sauid that 7 days is 7 periods of 24 hours after the signing of the warrant.

Now its tuesday and I'm just getting ready to go down and meet you 7 days after friday.....well its because of a spring tide on the michaelmas side of the equinox on the second friday of a month that ends in er, that is not december as inserted by the first amendment to section 212 of the proper copnduct of the courts regulations 1732 as amended by the enlightened Mr george snaodgrass the third in 1735!

by pat c Wed Sep 20, 2006 12:27

Full story at the link.

Cleaner stole sex videos from judge, court told

A judge became embroiled in a blackmail plot after intimate sex videos were stolen by his cleaner, the Old Bailey heard yesterday. The jury heard how the cleaner allegedly tried to extort money from her boss and another woman judge, with whom he had had an affair.

The 37-year-old Brazilian woman had threatened to tell the lord chancellor about the judges' relationship, demanding £20,000 to keep quiet, it heard.

The Old Bailey was also told that the cleaner, an illegal immigrant, had had an affair with her boss. She lived in his home against his will and, when he tried to evict her, she stole the videos. They were said to feature him in the company of two other women.

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Thu Sep 21, 2006 21:42

The warant is out of date by two days so the case is thrown out of court.

Mr. Justice Curtin has not been given the opportunity to establish his Innocence. Then there is the DPP 'shuffling papers' who t make a decision on the 50:50 rule.

What can the State do?

Embrace the adage 'Justice delayed is Justice denied' and seek an Oireachtas commttee with the objective of the Impeachment of the member of the Judiciary.

The thought of this is enough to break anyone's spirit.

I have no view but I would like to state my experience.

I have now taken to submitting cumulative copies of the original letter with a comment to the appropriate ministers but with no response.

Qualification: I state upfront that I have neurological problems from a brain injury and mental health problems.......truth.

Concern: The need for change in the law re. age of consent for sex and the need to contextualise in terms of the 1935 Act when 'children' had virtually no rights at all.

Why?

I had received questionable emails and photos. I use email only so I sought out Copine - research group in Cork University. I sent the data. Nobody replied....this went over two years. Now I realise that Copine was established in relation to research but supposedly had a problem retaining staff - who moved to pastures more enticing. The point is nobody responded to me. Thefefore probably nothing was forwarded on to other sources....My last letter sent to Copine was recently and I received the reply to send data to Interpol plus the address.

The next problem is looking up Boots Pharmaceutical site - I cannot tell you the obsence material I got - indication (hink about Boots and Riding Crops). No way could I shift it off the screen......I had to switch my machine off. Like Mr. Justice Curtain, this no doubt remains on my hard drive.

Then several weeks later, I wanted to get information on the Mater Hospital and 1916. Again, some weird concepts formulate themselves into disgusting images on my screen. Again this must be on my hard drive.

I wrote the laters to ministerial departments in context of Justice Curtin. As a vulnerable person, I wanted to point out just how easy another could manipulate your website.

This was further compounded in my mindset when phone tapping and the construction lords of D4 were cited all over the newspsapers.

Why would a research team in Cork be that inept in relation to matters related to Paedophilia and Pornography. At the same time we are trying to impeach a Judge via an Oireachtas Committee when ministerial departments and research teams fail to react pro-actively to a person with disabilities making a query. Who can be relied on in this State?

You open Newsweek or the Economist and the words are Identity Fraud......Do people understand just how easy it is to become a victim? Do people not grasp that our society is so competitive now that there is an underlying jealousy that spurns people to make 'asses' of others just for their own ego....

I wonder has anybody experienced the problems I have or more Importantly does anyone know about Copine and their research in Cork and who are responsibile for the checks and balances there? Research in Universities needs to be under scrutiny.

I sincerely hope if Mr. Justice Curtin is to be impeached that the authorities carry out research in a way that the facts are established.......

Michelle Clarke

Memory
'Its a poor sort of memory which only works backwards
Lewis Carroll 1832 - 78)
British Mathematician and author
Alice's Inventions in Wonderland.

by Chris Murray - . Thu Sep 21, 2006 21:54

One sentence caught my eye:-

The first about research in universities needing observation- I agree.

A lot of monied people fund departments and a lot of university students thereby

sign away their intellectual property rights to the man with the money.

The boots and riding crops also caught my eye. don't worry on it.

*Am a fan of Lewis, read some Angela Carter-'Burning your Boats' its feminist Lewis Carroll.*

As to Curtin the pornography was not accidental, it was bought with a credit card
this being proven as transaction through other defndents arrested and charged
under Operation Amethyst. His resistance to clearing his name is what intrigues me.

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice Wed Sep 27, 2006 00:19

Chris

Thank you for your interesting and informative reply. I was really beginning to feel as if I was totally disconnected.

What interesting times with regard to our Taoiseach Bertie? Will the humanity in Irish people come to the fore......it is sad to see someone humbled no matter what!

Quotations from the Little Book of Rebels (NI) Amnesty

Voting
If voting could change the system, it would be I L L egal

Theodore Adorno (1905-69) German Philosopher, sociologist and musicologist

Thought this appropriate for the challenges that lied ahead politically.

Thanks

Michelle

by The Knitter - Ultimate Disposal Sun Oct 22, 2006 13:26 theknitter at gmail dot com

WHy do I have this feeling in my gut that back-door shenanigans are responsible for the probe into Judge Curtin's PC accessing child porn being halted.

For this to come about it would mean meetings between solicitors and members of the Dail Committee .... were minutes of these "meetings" taken.

And isn't it obvious that ELECTED LEGISLATORS have to report crimes? If members of this Dail Committee discovered that crimes were committed by a District Court judge (retired or no) isn't it their task to see this the WHOLE WAY THROUGH.

If a judge resigns/retires in ireland they are still paid a huge amount of money. Should ordinary people have to pay for the cushy retirement of a child abuser ? I know the catholic church is paying a large amount of money to O'Grady, and will do so until his death - but surely the Government of the people of Ireland should HALT any payments to someone who abused their position when they were judges.

by PC Doctor Sun Oct 22, 2006 14:04

Michelle you need to sort out your machine and get rid of spyware.
Spyware can hijack your browser and send you to bad sites with lots of popups.

Solution:

download and run the following programs:

spybot search and destroy (free)
http://www.spybot.info/en/mirrors/index.html
Adaware personal (free)
http://www.download.com/Ad-Aware-SE-Personal-Edition/30...=top5

Then change your browser to firefox which has built in popup blocking and is more secure as less attacks are geared towards it than the microsoft browser (IE)

firefox download (free)
http://www.mozilla.com/products/download.html?product=f...en-US

You need a firewall program (free) (click on "download this version")
http://www.filehippo.com/download_kerio_personal_firewa.../?468

And of course a good (free) anti virus program
http://files.avast.com/iavs4pro/setupeng.exe

It might also be a good idea to change the email program you use from outlook to something else less vulnerable. Try thunderbird
http://www.mozilla.com/products/download.html?product=t...en-US

whichever email program you use, don't EVER open attachments on emails where you don't know the sender.

I have been using these programs for quite a while and have had no problems with viruses, spyware, popups etc.

Hope this helps

by C Murray Mon Nov 13, 2006 11:19

Brian Curtin and his legal team have not asked the Oireachtas Committee to postpone,
nor have they made legal challenges against the proceedings. In fact there have been no
last minute legal challenges to the Oireachtas Committee hearings today- or last night.

As reported above the Judge can make use of an opt-out and retire on the grounds
of ill health, thus the committee would not be able to continue its work.

Its all very quiet on the Curtin side.

There are no criminal charges : the Oireachtas committee feeds into the impeachment
process and it is the first time in the history of the State that this process
has been initiated against a sitting judge.

Since there is no template for impeachment, the committees have had to develop process
as they went along, thus it will provide the future templates for legal impeachment
of a sitting judge.

Apparently a US police officer and a UK computer expert are attending to give evidence.
The hearing is expected to last some weeks and will it is presumed ,issue a report
which will probably be released under the auspices of the present Department of Justice.

The question now is: Will the committee which will report to Minister Mc Dowell
lead to an impeachment or in fact will the judge opt for early retirement on the
grounds of ill-health, thus denying the law schools a template?
The criminal process was dropped on a technicality, therefore the presumption of
innocence has never been tested in open court.

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Tue Nov 14, 2006 02:20

Well put Chris.

Alas I ask the question about Evidence, time frames. Now we have a template as you say for future students of Law and no doubt precedent in any future cases.......

I ask what is 'organic' ....... Do we not deserve a more clarified explanation or perhaps we ought to seek definition and explanation via American Neuropsych. Institute?

I would not want anyone to be guilty of this bestial crime but neither would I substantiate a protracted period of time and an eventual Oireachtas Committee to be so long as to facilitated 'health' as the opt out and thereby abstention from due process and receipt of a pension.

The Judge in the legal framework must have integrity. He is representative of the judiciary within the Separation of Powers. This is about democracy and our Constitution. The adage is 'Justice must be seen to be done'..........I wonder what impact the news today has on parents, teenagers........?

Organic and health problems have a point of origin. Why not State this in his letter of resignation? He refers to it as brain - damage, well as a person with same and mental health problems, surely it would be more equitable to clarify his explanation. Did stress, anxiety, skew Mr. Curtin in the direction of a medical certificate. I ask, what about the young man, who has say completed a year in college and is arrested for a minor offence and gets Jail, maybe even an irrational sentence.

A Judge ought to be inspiratonal, fair, learned, wise. The Scales of Justice are about achieving equilibrium between right and wrong.

I sincerely hope in this Nation adrift that we learn some lessons.......When Dr. Kelly committted suicide over the Nuclear Weapons and Iraq/. The Government decided on an Enquiry with Mr. Justice Hutton. The important issue, is the facts were established but the time for counsel and others to gather fees was stated.......and rightly so.

The Tribunals in Ireland about corruption could nearly be said to be nurturning an acceptance about the inspirationall rogues that creaed the Celtic Tiger.

This is not what Law and Order is about.

I admire greatly Mr. Justice Kinlan. We need a parole board urgently and we most definitely must review our courts systems - the petty crimes that get jail and the mass corruption that becomes an 'only for' circus.

My cousin was a High Court Judge in England. He was bipolar and medicated - he won President of the Oxford Union (v. Roy Jenkins) and he was Irish. He had to stand down for genuine health reasons. Let us hope a position like his is compromised by trickery!!!!!

Gandhi
''Live as if you are going to die tomorrow and learn as if you are going to learn for the rest of your life.

by Kevin T. Walsh - Social Justice and Ethics Tue Nov 14, 2006 18:44

Michelle, as always I enjoyed your article last night, both fair and well written. Yourself, Chris Murray and Sean Fleming who I have seen for a long time are some of the best writers on Indymedia.

Recently Indymedia has been host to writers about Spooks in the North and Crooks in the South.

The Corrib is a major issue, I totally agree but if all the Indymedia people gathered together at 2.00 a.m. we would be there to support the people of West Mayo. We have been sold out by Ray Burke - the first Minister of Justice to go to Jail.

Michael McDowell has some serious questions to answer. He appointed Brian Curtin as Circuit Court Judge, a few years ago. Brian Curtin was known to the legal profession in the Southern Circult as being a very ruthless and arrogant individual.

In a case some years ago (I will not give the man's full-name, John). This young man was 25 years old and a student in Cork. His first offence against Mr. Justice Curtin was about Euros 250 cocaine. He received 5 years imprisonment.

6 out of 9 cases regarding sexual abuse and pornography resulted in suspended sentences. These are a very serious issues now;, arising out of the alleged porn rfound on McCurtins computer. The Gardai in Tralee come into question regarding a search warrant.

A search warrant is issued I think by a Chief Superintendent or a Judge in some cases. I believe Specsavers are now doing some deal in Tralee Garda Station. How could they get a date of a search warrant of a Judge wrong - in common sense.

I know a Father in Galway personally (I will not give his name but has been reported in the newspapers. This Father drove from Galway to kerry to meet Jurdge Curtin - to leave his young 17 year old door alone (allegedly a sexual relationship).

I couldn't but notice today on Liveline - Joe Duffy kept prompting people with the utterances 'be careful what you say'. Why - Joe never uses these words in relation to other people - sometimes he goes so far as to ostracise.

Curtin tried to block the Oireachtas Committee for three years - I ask who gave him the free legal aid!!! The taxpayer now will pay Euros 1.8 million for Curtin's bill - Again I ask why? They also may pay more for the cost of the Oireachtas itself involved in the Curtin issue.

Curtin was born in London and became eligible for a pension as this marked his 5th year as a Judge - only last week.

This is morally wrong. He was suspended for a number of years and he was not doing his job as a Judge,.

Curtin repeats the word 'Not Guilty' - all he had to do is allow the London based computer people/interpol to access his machine and if the truth applied he would be exonerated. It is just another scandal and Curtin in my opinion is entitled to nothing.

I don't like to see anyone being depressed or a prisoner in their own home but he himself removed people from their homes to prison cells - and sentences, I would think are questoinable in some cases.

Now McDowell has something to answer. I ask is Curtin still a member of the PD's. I also ask McDowell how in depth his research before appointing Curtin to high office.

Michelle, it is ironic you wrote the article last night - I came across some papers in the Law Library, Your Grandfather, Mr. Justice Michael Comyn was from the same circuit.

There is one more Judge in Cork - Mr. Justice Patwell. He sits in the District Court. He gave a traveller woman with 8 children 3 months of imprisonment for stealing goods worth Euros 8, yet he let Tim Allen, Ballymalloo House walk out of court with a Euros 32,000 fine. This concerned pornography......

Why was he not put forward for Trial? I now believe that Ireland has duplicated and we have the 'Little Sicily'.

I phoned a vet today in Connemara and enquired about Organic tumours. He said if this exists medically - Bertie Ahern must have Free Range Balls.

I made a complaint the other night to Belmullet Garda station regarding the Shell police thuggery to Miss Harrington School Principal, who is well respected in the area. The answer I got back from the Garda in Belmullet was F....off.....you gobshite.

Why are thugs like this allowed to speak in this way to me a taxpayer?

When I phoned the Gardai in Castlebar - the reply was - What Corrib - what are you talking about. The deal is over Bertie Said.

I bleedin got me money in Manchester - me old friiend Burke will not pay the legal fees he owes Euros 2.5 m.........

Now would someone explain what is happening on this Island of Irelant - I feel I am stuct in Groundhog Day......with Bertie, McDowell - the poodle, Curtin - the shady judge and Daniel O'Donnell.

I call Aidan O'Brian to Indymedia to help me out here.

Did Bertie mention something about the Rule of Law....................!!!!

What 'Standard' is now used in the names of the people of the Island of Ireland.......?

'The last I heard of Enda Kenny - he is going on a date shortly with Terry Keane who is leaving hospital - I wonder what secrets she will share with Enda.............I wonder who got another house as a little presie?

Power should be fair - it should never be abused - it should never have a price and above all - Beware of tents at the Galway Races.
Michael Bailey - Philosopher, Astronomer, Thinker, Strategist......also in later life a great asset to the Irish revenue.......

K. T. Walsh

by BarryM Fri Nov 17, 2006 17:45

I agree with the previous comments, the whole thing is a complete scandal, but it could have been predicted. Nobody wants to actually tackle the basic issue, why is there no legislative method for dismissing a DJ? Because they are appointed by the pols.

It beggars belief that a person that we the citizens, through our government, appoint to ensure the law is applied can be caught as Curtin was and that there is even a question of his continuing in his post.

Never mind the rubbish about 'due process' that is a euphemism for long fingering the matter. The DPP considered there was a case to answer, presumably after examination of the facts (although one could sometimes question what sort of analysis the DPPs office makes...) but surely someone in the judiciary cannot be considered in the same way as others when it comes to crimes.....

The O'Flaherty case is the reference. He was fired, rightly so, you cannot have a judicial system where a case can be re-considered after one of the interested parties meets a Supreme Court judge walking his dog....Neither can you have a system where the decision that there is a case to answer does not mean instant dismissal of the judge. It may seem rough justice but judges should know the risks.

In any case, if the other matters which were raised about Curtin's lifestyle were followed up then in any other profession he'd have been fired.

I know the medics take years to do it but in similar cases they actually do remove the right to practise and if they don't the government jumps up and down, whcy not in the case of judges?

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice Sun Feb 11, 2007 21:40

I retunred to postings written at a time when it appears our network for intercepting porn were off the wire.......They say 150 emails per day.

I have written on Judge Gurtin as has Chris Murray.

However, I have been consistently writing about child porn and its appearance on by website by no invitation......for the last number of years.

I have emailed all sources including Copine in Cork (refer Dail, this issued has been raised by a senator or Dail member).

I wrote to Minister McDowell and other members of the Department of Justice.

I do not regard it as fun to receive your posting - I ask is there a little more like a hidden agenda!!!!

Trying to make a complaint has taken me years.......perhaps your words about me sums it up......nobody can understand?

Well done Austria. Shame on us in Ireland. What about Copine in Cork........the ruse......that we were all told to contact re. porn. Somehow it managed to lose its staff (without notifying people) to more esteemed universites.

Two exampled I will give:
Boots pharmacy.....

The History of the Mater Hospital

I add use your imagination and see what I got ........ the Prude that I am.

I ask the Justice Department to pay heed. We must be above reproach on how we screen for pornography.

We are high on the list for porn, we travel to places like Thailand, the Philipines and so many other places - some of us even make money from the plight of these children.

Then come to Dublin 4. Well done to the Prime Time programme that revealed the activities of some deprived individuals.

If I recall it was Amethyst that unfurled a batch of misguided warped people the last time, this time we may just have missed the boat due to some spurious reason.

Judge Curtin must live with his conscience, if he has one. He side stepped the law ........ something mentioned about organic......!!!

Michelle Clarke

by Mick Butler Mon Feb 12, 2007 20:49

I was quickly reminded of Curtin when I heard McDowell stating categorically that no action would be taken against those Gardai who slept at, (or turned the wheel?) when the red lights of child pornorgraphy came up on the computer screen. The rape of children is given a low rating! I wonder why. It is a shocking vista opening up and it appears the "A" "accountable" word is once again, nowhere to be seen.

For the benefit of Chris,Michelle and other concerned citizens, I came across a Supreme Court ruling from 1965 wherein the validity of a search warrant was contested. Items of clothing had been retrieved following a raid on a house in Dublin. Alas the search warrant had the wrong address printed on it. The appeal to the Supreme Court failed however, as the court held that there was no "intentional" breach of the law through the issuing of an invalid warrant, a "genuine mistake " had, the court ruled, been made. Was this case cited I wonder to the District Court judge who dismissed Curtin's case because of the warrant ? ? I can put the name of the case up here if anyone is interested, I don't have it to hand at the moment, I contacted some MSM, they were not interested. I thought that was a "WOW"as they say in Belfast.

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Mon Feb 12, 2007 21:55

Matt...

When you have time, can you provide the details on the 1960's case .... I found your reply so very interesting.

I had lunch with a barrister friend today in Baggot Street. The conversation, at my instigation, steered around to the case of the young teenager who died suspiciously before Christmas. Psychiatry has intervened and the Gardai appear frustrated in their efforts to investigate the case......I wonder have you any views. The case has only briefly been dealt with in the media. The papers before Christmas stated that Dr. Hutchenson, a locum psychiatrist was found in a distraught state with her daughter nearby. The papers spoke of a very tragic story - it was near Thomastown in kilkenny. The daughter was 16 years old and excelled academically in mathematics and was going for a Gold Medal on behalf of her schooi in Vietnam.

The Scales of Justice appears to be tipping in the wrong direction down South......distortion of truth and a little corruption thrown in.......

Michelle

Quote
'Lies'
In our country the lie has become not a moral category but a pillar of the State'
Alexander Solzhentsyn born 1915 - Russian dissident who spent 8 years in prison......

by Mick Butler Tue Feb 13, 2007 20:33

Hi Michelle, The case I referred to was :The People ( Attorney General ) v. O'Brien 1965 I. R. 142. The Court of Criminal Appeal (CCA) had sanctioned an appeal on the grounds that the decision ( to allow a wholly incorrect warrant ) as the evidential trigger, "involved a point of law of exceptional public importance" and as such it was deemed "desireable in the public interest that an appeal should be taken".

The Supreme Court held that the "mistake was a pure oversight" and "it has not been shown that the oversight was noticed by anyone before the premises were searched.." I presume the point of exceptional public importance referred to by CCA was based on the fact that it is a violation of the Constitution to enter the dwelling of a citizen "save in accordance with law" and that the law neccessitates the generation and processing of a valid search warrant. I am sure if you contact the courts service they would be happy to provide you with a copy of this case.

There are so many cases out there including the one you refer to, that it is difficult to keep track of them but was the case law as formulated by the Supreme Court in 1965 cited in Curtins case by the prosecution. And if not why not ? The DC Judge made a big song and dance about having the case brought before him in the first place, in view of the fact that the warrant was void. Person/s are guilty somewhere or the state's legal team were asleep at the wheel or avoiding what appears to be the bloody obvious. In the meantime we will pay for Curtin's pension, should he get it and Pierse and Co takes up a fat cheque from you, me and the rest .

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Fri Mar 02, 2007 01:32

Chris and others

I was reading through this site tonight and thought it was worth bringing the matter up again.

The signs were there for people in Justice and Law Reform etc. There must have been an inclination..........There must be a metnod of reporting suspicious calls or some form of monitoring of at least the mobiles of Gardai, teachers, and civil servants.......etc...

Several postings have been suggesting problems at the DPP around corruption!!!!! There have been a number of questionable decisions around the 50\/50 rule......

One more queston I ask is why the young teenager who committed suicide before Christmas in Kilkenny remains distanced from law procedures and the DPP assessment.............Justice must be seen to be done.

These are abusers who seek young vulneranble victims and lure them to an unkknow location with the purpose of solicitiing..........and here Ireland is after all the talk and news in the summer, facing the position that there may not be a charge ofr soliciting ----- a loophole

Are we really sure we are capable of amending the consitution. I do not believe we are in such a position...........we are not in touch with trafficking, prostituion, and wordst mobile phones that can can sell sex to children.........

Michelle

Quotation
Opportunity
'Every exit is an entry somewhere by Tom Stoppard.....

by C Murray Fri Mar 02, 2007 09:58

The issue above and in terms of legislation/education and knowledge is
and has largely been unadressed by the State, which is why it's hit a road
block.

For backround research the site at link is highly recommended:-

http://www.paddydoyle.com

The writer and author of the God Squad has been a tireless advocate on the
issue of presenting people with the knowledge and tools to deal honestly
with the issue of child abuse in this state.

The one in four group does good work.
Their leader , however, is standing for the PD's (so I am not too sure about his
independence in terms of advocacy)

DRCC (Dublin Rape Crisis centre have been lobbying on the political issues
for years, they suffer under-funding on a huge scale)

Research:- It is necessary to look at all laws and funding over the current
government's term of office to get a picture of how the issues on law- making have
undevalued the younger citizens in this country.
This encompasses the Dept of Justice, Education, Health and Children.

Simple issues such as :-
*Sex education availabiltiy - which was resisted for years by catholic parents on
state school boards.
*The Stay Safe Programmes.
*A safe place to discuss issues, which is non-judgemental and victims can
feel unthreatened.

A lot of abuse happens because kids do not have the personal tools to deal
with the issues and do not know where to turn.

Funding is a problem for many advocate groups.
Legislating is a problem because of the simple inability of the State to face up to
and deal with the legacy of abuse currently beng examined by the Ryan Commission
on child Abuse (previously the Laffoy Commission).

by Michelle Clarke - Social Justice and Ethics Fri Mar 02, 2007 13:45

Chris

Thanks for the informative reply and the reference to Paddy Doyle web. I have printed out the details and even before reading, I feel more informed.

Michelle

by f Fri Mar 02, 2007 18:15

"Their leader , however, is standing for the PD's (so I am not too sure about his
independence in terms of advocacy)"

He was active in one in four long before he joined the PDs, or supported them.

by C Murrray Fri Mar 02, 2007 19:13

i have always greatly respected what Colm O Gorman has done in one in four, but
it's a dual mandate situation. If he is standing for election it means he is no longer
neutral in terms of advocacy. Party Politics do not go well with NGO's/advocacy groups.

No offence meant.