Sexual assault...but sure he's a nice lad..Mod Warning Post 275

dearg lady · 17-12-2009 9:55am #1

I know this is a very emotive subject for both sexes, and it comes up often, but when I saw this article, I just couldn't believe it

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2009/1217/1224260840003.html

I didn't think this kind of thing still went on, that the victim gets judged more than the perpetrator of the crime! All I can say is fair play to her for going through with the case, knowing full well people would talk.

Notorious · 17-12-2009 10:05am

He only gets 7 years for that? Not enough IMO. I think its pretty sick that all those people seem to be condoning his actions.

_michelle_ · 17-12-2009 10:05am

im horrified after reading that article that people can still act like that, that man should be hung for what he did not patted on the back bt the locals!
it would put me off ever visiting the village if this is what the folk are like, i cant say how horrified i am words cant express it.
this lady went through a horiffic nightmare & people have the check to critise her

:eek::mad: god some people are so backward in rural places!
she should receive a courage award for going through that experience!

Nevyn · 17-12-2009 10:17am

Yes this is sickening, but it is not surprising and it is not just the attitude in rural villages.
Ireland is rife with victim and slut shaming.
She was out drinking, no doubt dressed up for the night and was in a night club so ergo she was asking for "it".
Seems you need to be a young girl and a virgin or an old lady in your 70s for your attacker to be shunned.

http://www.radiokerry.ie/news/

16 Dec 2009
Listowel man sentenced to seven years for sexual assault

A Listowel man has been sentenced to seven years for sexually assaulting a woman. 35 year old Danny Foley, from Meen, Listowel, was found guilty earlier this month of the offence which took place in a town centre carpark on June 15th 2008.

The incident took place after the pair had left a nightclub. Mr Foley denied the charge saying sexual activity between the pair was consensual. In her victim impact statement, the woman told the court the sexual assault had led her to have suicidal thoughts on several occasions. She said she didn't hate Mr Foley as a person but hated what he had done to her.

In handing down sentence Judge Donagh McDonagh dismissed character witnesses including Fr Sean Sheehy who said Mr Foley didn't have an abusive bone in his body. The judge said Mr Foley had commenced a web of lies about the incident from the moment he was discovered by Gardai, kneeling over the semi-conscious woman who was naked from the waist down. He added no reasonable man could believe a woman, who had earlier complained of feeling sick from drink, could consent to sexual activity.

Around 50 family members and friends of Danny Foley were in court to hear Judge McDonagh hand down a seven year sentence - the final two of which were suspended. Mr Foley was also placed on the sex offenders register for life.

_michelle_ · 17-12-2009 10:23am

but it is shocking to think that if it had been one of their sisters, aunts, grans would they have acted in the same manner

:eek:
do they not have any idea what this lady went through

like hello she was raped!! that is one of the worst crimes possible & to think people patted him on the back, they should hang their heads in shame!

bugler · 17-12-2009 10:23am

Priests being called as character witnesses..I've heard it all now!

Disgraceful behaviour from all concerned.

Nevyn · 17-12-2009 10:25am

No their sisters, aunts and gran's would be respectable women and not be carrying on like drunk floozies in a nightclub and getting a nice lad into such trouble, don't you know.

cson · 17-12-2009 10:25am

With no offence intended; was a priest as a character witness for a rapist the best idea given the controversy surrounding the church at the minute

Beruthiel · 17-12-2009 10:27am

Shocking stuff. Seriously shocking.

AntiRip · 17-12-2009 10:28am

I know Danny very well and I know the victim also. If you lived in the area you'd know the full story that isn't been in the media. I am very shocked and upset with this story. It's very sad when you know the people involved.

Nevyn · 17-12-2009 10:28am

cson wrote: »

With no offence intended; was a priest as a character witness for a rapist the best idea given the controversy surrounding the church at the minute

That would be standard still in smaller towns and communities to have the local priest and your dr who would been seen to have some clout to make character statements. Oh and non one gets to give them for the whore of babylon the victim.

Not surprising the priest said what he did, women are after all temptresses like Eve getting men into trouble.

No consent or lack of proper consent due a person being passed out or too drunk or drugged, should mean that
people do not have sex with that person, end of.

cson · 17-12-2009 10:29am

Actually just to add to that; I'm a student and from what I'd see on nights out and purely anecdotal evidence I'd say that type of scenario happens a lot more often than people think. I'd say a lot of victims just try to put it to the back of their minds/forget about it which isn't the best course of action either.

Definitely fair play to her for following through with something she could have easily chosen to 'forget' about if she wished. An example to everyone.

dearg lady · 17-12-2009 10:30am

cson wrote: »

With no offence intended; was a priest as a character witness for a rapist the best idea given the controversy surrounding the church at the minute

That's what I was thinking!

I suppose in a way she's lucky that she got a conviction(going on the basis of that last thread re rape convictions) and only because he was pretty much caught in the act.

_michelle_ · 17-12-2009 10:32am

AntiRip wrote: »

I know Danny very well and I know the victim also. If you lived in the area you'd know the full story that isn't been in the media. I am very shocked and upset with this story. It's very sad when you know the people involved.

you say you know the people involved, & that were not getting at the full story so what are you trying to say the woman was to blame????

hick · 17-12-2009 10:32am

AntiRip wrote: »

I know Danny very well and I know the victim also. If you lived in the area you'd know the full story that isn't been in the media. I am very shocked and upset with this story. It's very sad when you know the people involved.

set the record straight?

cson · 17-12-2009 10:33am

AntiRip wrote: »

I know Danny very well and I know the victim also. If you lived in the area you'd know the full story that isn't been in the media. I am very shocked and upset with this story. It's very sad when you know the people involved.

Care to give us the full story then?

The fact of the matter is that the man has been convicted by his peers of sexual assault. Now that's a pretty definitive story to me; I'd happen to think the Irish Courts Service are the best proponents of deciding what the 'full' story is.

dearg lady · 17-12-2009 10:33am

Thaedydal wrote: »

Yes this is sickening, but it is not surprising and it is not just the attitude in rural villages.
Ireland is rife with victim and slut shaming.
She was out drinking, no doubt dressed up for the night and was in a night club so ergo she was asking for "it".
Seems you need to be a young girl and a virgin or an old lady in your 70s for your attacker to be shunned.
s/[/url]

Yeah, I don't know why I'm all that surprised really, it just saddens me. I wonder di they really think about the behaviour they're condoning

Nevyn · 17-12-2009 10:34am

He was convicted of sexaul assualt not rape, so please you want to be careful as that can be said to be defamation, none of the reporting uses the term rape.

AntiRip · 17-12-2009 10:35am

look if I'm going to be attacked just because I know the people and just hear whats been said around me I'll say no more. I haven't expressed any opinion only to say it's sad.

AntiRip · 17-12-2009 10:36am

Thaedydal wrote: »

He was convicted of sexaul assualt not rape, so please you want to be careful as that can be said to be defamation, none of the reporting uses the term rape.

was just going to say that

hick · 17-12-2009 10:37am

in fairness I don't think you've been attacked
you indicated you knew the correct events, given the emotion involved in something like this it's not unreasonable for people to want to understand the full facts

Heinrich · 17-12-2009 10:38am

AntiRip wrote: »

I know Danny very well and I know the victim also. If you lived in the area you'd know the full story that isn't been in the media. I am very shocked and upset with this story. It's very sad when you know the people involved.

In the interests of Danny and the nice people of Kerry, could you set the matter straight and tell us the full story? You are shocked and sad and know the people involved. Your contribution to this is to come on a forum with a rather vague one liner. Is this trolling?

chughes · 17-12-2009 10:38am

AntiRip wrote: »

look if I'm going to be attacked just because I know the people and just hear whats been said around me I'll say no more. I haven't expressed any opinion only to say it's sad.

AntiRip, please don't take it as an attack. I, for one, would really like to know why Dan Foley had such support.

[Deleted User] · 17-12-2009 10:38am

AntiRip wrote: »

I know Danny very well and I know the victim also. If you lived in the area you'd know the full story that isn't been in the media. I am very shocked and upset with this story. It's very sad when you know the people involved.

I don't give a ****e what the full storey is. Nothing condones taking advantage of a person in that state.

_michelle_ · 17-12-2009 10:40am

AntiRip wrote: »

look if I'm going to be attacked just because I know the people and just hear whats been said around me I'll say no more. I haven't expressed any opinion only to say it's sad.

so i take it then that you have heard how terrible it is that "danny" was convicted & no doubt there will be a whip around for his families troubling time!! god it really brings home how simple & uneducated country people can act!

hick · 17-12-2009 10:41am

Moonbaby wrote: »

I don't give a ****e what the full storey is. Nothing condones taking advantage of a person in that state.

that's as bad as one of those people who went up and shook his hand, you need to understand the full facts before you make any decision,
and before you start no I do not condone what A COURT WITH THE FACTS has said has happened here and fair play to that lady for having the strength to go through this

pookie82 · 17-12-2009 10:42am

AntiRip wrote: »

look if I'm going to be attacked just because I know the people and just hear whats been said around me I'll say no more. I haven't expressed any opinion only to say it's sad.

There's little point coming on here and cryptically saying "I know more than you guys and it's sad" without elaborating. It's just adding fuel to the fire. Sounds to me like a typical small backward rural community sticking by the local wonder boy who couldn't put a foot wrong. I could easily imagine a similar mindset where I grew up.

It's pretty difficult in this judicial system to get a conviction for a sexual offence so if the court managed to secure one then it can't have been on any small grounds. The guy was caught on CCTV carrying her off to the dumpster for God's sake after testifying that he went to urinate and found her there.

And the village priest testifying that he was an upstanding young man with the utmost respect for women??? FFS!!! And we all know that the testimony of a priest as to the moral upstanding and abhorrence for sexual violence of an accused is trustworthy.

The Examiner hit the nail on the head this morning by comparing it to something from a Brian Friel play.

AntiRip · 17-12-2009 10:43am

_michelle_ wrote: »

so i take it then that you have heard how terrible it is that "danny" was convicted & no doubt there will be a whip around for his families troubling time!! god it really brings home how simple & uneducated country people can act!

there you go, thanks:rolleyes:

enda1 · 17-12-2009 10:46am

He added no reasonable man could believe a woman, who had earlier complained of feeling sick from drink, could consent to sexual activity.

^
The judge's comments.

To me that's a load of shite. I gather the guy did commit sexual assault but I hope there was more "proof" than that!

Sure I'm sure many people on here have had consensual sex after feeling sick from drinking or even after getting sick from drinking! At least I know I have...

morninwood · 17-12-2009 10:46am

sickening sh!te. pictures of all the basterds who patted him on the back should be made public. i am pretty sure some photographer was on site. what kind of sick mind set do these people have? :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

pookie82 · 17-12-2009 10:47am

enda1 wrote: »

^
The judge's comments.

To me that's a load of shite. I gather the guy did commit sexual assault but I hope there was more "proof" than that!

Sure I'm sure many people on here have had consensual sex after feeling sick from drinking or even after getting sick from drinking! At least I know I have...

I don't think he put forward that it was consensual though. If he had, totally different story. But he seemed to be denying any sexual encounter took place and that he just stumbled upon her. From what I can gather anyway.

*Edit* It appears that he claimed that oral sex took place, a story the judge described as "particularly odious" (Examiner).

Sexual assault...but sure he's a nice lad..Mod Warning Post 275

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