Suffer little children ! Who will protect you ?

national | crime and justice | opinion/analysis Sunday March 11, 2007 21:20 by Louise Gaffney

The innocence and wonder of children is something that sane and decent people strive to cherish and protect. The ubiquity of terms like "child abuse" in the media can lead us to almost become innured to the reality of these repellent crimes. Rational adults expect law agencies to have such crimes prioritised and investigations prosecuted with professional "zeal" for want of a better term. Alas what happens when a cloud of doubt is cast over those very agencies and professions whose remit is to protect the weak and the vulnerable ?

A Garda is currently under investigation for his part in organising the abuse and rape of minors in this state. Two days later a civil servant from the office of the Chief State Solicitors Office is arrested in relation to the same matter. In January Austrian authorities announced that Gardai had been alerted in relation to padeophile rings and the Gardai upon checking their records informed the media that the matter had indeed "not" been "actioned" by them. A number of individuals have been granted annoymity by the courts; among them a garda officer and a Church of Ireland cleric (see Phoenix March 9 th 2007 and 4th July 4th 2003).

Judge Brian Curtin's case was dismissed due to an alleged flaw in the search warrant (despite case law from the Supreme Court in 1965 which held it admissable,given the public interest, that a case proceed in spite of an erroneous search warrant, ie the wrong address on the warrant.) In the case of a Garda Darrach Kennedy,Judge Michael White issued an order that led to the charges being dropped. (see Phoenix March 9th 2007).

Mr McDowell is this meant to be the settled order of things ?