THE show of support in a Kerry courtroom for a convicted sex offender has sparked-off a flood of angry comments on a Facebook page called "Shocked By Reaction In Listowel". The Facebook group began posting their remarks early yesterday and by last evening in excess of 1,900 people had expressed their revulsion at what took place on Wednesday when Danny Foley, of Meen, Listowel, was given a custodial sentence having been found guilty of a sexual assault on a woman.
A group of 50 people, mainly men and said to be neighbours and friends, trooped into the Tralee courtroom and shook his hand, some hugged him, as his 24-year-old victim sat nearby.
"I don’t know this woman but this group was set up to tell her and any person brave enough to report an assault that if 50 people sympathise with the attacker, there are many, many more who sympathise with the victim," the opening Facebook page states.
One member of the group, a woman, had this to say: "My heart goes out to this woman, and all other women suffering the same deal.
"I have been that victim as a child and never got the chance to bring it to court. Power to her for standing up and telling the truth."
One male respondent said it was "high time this redneck, small-town attitude was rooted out!"
Another man referring to the fact that Fr Sean Sheehy had provided a character reference for the convicted sex offender said: "The priest gave a character reference? I think the Church needs to outsource their public relations needs."
"Shocking behaviour from the ‘ah! she was looking for it’ band of brothers, shame on you all, especially the local priest, hang your head in shame," another woman wrote.
"The whole thing is just very sad and unfortunately very Irish. How does this priest expect to stand in front of the female members of his congregation with any level of authority nd teach them about morality, honesty or respect? It’s just beyond comprehension really," she stated. Other messages hit hard and used words like "shocked and bloody disgusted" and "these people are just scum".
Other Facebook members said things like "Beggars belief! What is wrong with these people?" and "It’s just a pity he didn’t get a harsher sentence, he deserved it for his complete lack of remorse and insistence of innocence, even though there is concrete evidence to the contrary. This country, in particular the rural areas, needs a major attitude adjustment, it appears to me they are still living in the 1950s."
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