Nothing about people surprises me anymore

walshb

Priest says he has no regrets for supporting sex offender in court

Thursday December 17 2009

A priest has insisted he did nothing wrong in joining a group of people who openly supported a convicted sex offender in court prior to the man being sentenced.

Fr Sean Sheehy joined 40 to 50 local men who queued up to shake hands and embrace Danny Foley in the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee yesterday.

Foley, of of Meen, Listowel, Co Kerry, denied the sexual assault charges against him. CCTV footage showed the 35-year-old carrying a young women to the skip area in the town centre car park where she was later found semi-conscious, half-naked and covered in scratches and bruises. Foley told gardai that he “found your wan” in the skip area as he was going to relieve himself.

Two weeks ago a jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict. Yesterday Foley was sentenced to seven years jail and he will be placed on the sex offenders register for life.

Presiding judge Donagh McDonagh criticised Fr Sheehy’s character witness statement during sentencing.

Speaking to Claire Byrne on Newstalk, Fr Sheehy defended his support for the convicted man and described the sentence as “harsh”.

“To hand down a seven year sentence in that kind of situation, it seems to me is a miscarriage of justice,” Fr Sheehy said.

The Castlegregory parish priest says he backed Foley because he knew him to be an “even tempered, placid individual.”

“I just wanted to support him and let him know he wasn’t alone,” Fr Sheehy said. When asked how he felt about supporting a man found guilty of sexual assault, the priest said “the fact is, it was an alleged attack... but the jury convicted him.”

He added that had he known the victim, he would have shook her hand too. “My Christian responsibility was to the person I know,” he said.

Fr Sheehy denied claims that the hand-shaking and hugging of Foley by the group of men was organised. He said he’d been asked to say hello to the defendant by his mother .

“I was simply responding to her invitation, she (Foley’s mother) was completely broken-hearted,” he said.

Caoimhín

Free country, however reprehensible. Still a free country*

*Last time i checked anyway..

arybvtcw0eolkf

There's a few threads running on already, I wouldn't be so quick to comment as there's an appeal on the conviction and, well there seem's more going on and local issue's re. the 'victims' character.

I doubt the dust will settle on this one for awhile.

walshb

Caoimhín wrote: »

Free country, however reprehensible. Still a free country*

*Last time i checked anyway..

I never said it wasn't a free country. I just find it quite strange that men would be queuing
up to shake the hand of ANY man who was convicted of such an offence.

Daemos

walshb wrote: »

“To hand down a seven year sentence in that kind of situation, it seems to me is a miscarriage of justice,” Fr Sheehy said.

Yeah, it should have been longer

People like that don't deserve sympathy, it's one of the worst crimes imaginable. Another black mark on the Church.

Caoimhín

walshb wrote: »

I never said it wasn't a free country. I just find it quite strange that men would be queuing
up to shake the hand of ANY man who was convicted of such an offence.

It is indeed strange. But then there are some seriously strange people out there.

Wagon

walshb wrote: »

He added that had he known the victim, he would have shook her hand too. “My Christian responsibility was to the person I know,” he said.

I'm not one of these people who scream about how the church is wrong, how religion is a disaster and how it corrupts the mind. But if ever there was proof of it (at least with Christianity), here it is. Still not suprised by the whole thing though. Very sad and i feel really sorry for the victim.

walshb

Like I said, nothing with people surprises me anymore. Usually, I allow for a certain decency and class in persons, but the likes of this makes me really think

Caoimhín

I'm not one of these people who scream about how the church is wrong, how religion is a disaster and how it corrupts the mind.

Before empires, before guns, spin, propaganda and governments. Organised religion was and probably still is the best mechanicism man has invented to control others.

Imagine, not only do they have a say in this life, but for eternity..

DeadlyH83

Reading today's Irish mail on Sunday..

And here is this priest again supporting the rapist Danny foley!
What a utter disgrace, this priest walked past the victim and shook hands with the man who raped her.
No wonder people lose faith in the church

Auldloon

Can't find that on the online version. Can anyone find a link please?

Festy

Just googled that danny foley there,man,he looks pure evil.

Auldloon

Festy wrote: »

Just googled that danny foley there,man,he looks pure evil.

Agreed! I've always felt so sorry for the girl in this case.

silverharp

DeadlyH83 wrote: »

Reading today's Irish mail on Sunday..

And here is this priest again supporting the rapist Danny foley!
What a utter disgrace, this priest walked past the victim and shook hands with the man who raped her.
No wonder people lose faith in the church

whats the news angle, the original stories all relate to 2009?

Sulla Felix

Is he up for early release? Can't find anything on the interwebs.

Tiddlypeeps

Amelia Strong Cave wrote: »

There's a few threads running on already, I wouldn't be so quick to comment as there's an appeal on the conviction and, well there seem's more going on and local issue's re. the 'victims' character.

I doubt the dust will settle on this one for awhile.

I might be picking this up wrong, but if the victim was found half naked and injured then what has her character got to do with it and why is victims in quotes?

I really hope I picked this comment up completely wrong and have missed something.

Sulla Felix

This is the most recent article, from 2012, for an appeal.

http://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerryman/news/appeal-over-sex-assault-sentence-28841372.html

The last sentence mentions the appeal court returning a decision at a later date but I can't seem to find that.

FouxDaFaFa

This story has always bothered me.

Even if this group of men were completely convinced that this man was innocent, they weren't there. Why would they take the chance on causing a victim even more distress simply because they have a hunch?

Tiddlypeeps

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

This story has always bothered me.

Even if this group of men were completely convinced that this man was innocent, they weren't there. Why would they take the chance on causing a victim even more distress simply because they have a hunch?

Logical reasoning is not a trait you often find in the religious.

bgrizzley

i wonder would the 50 people who shook his hand in court be as fast to leave their daughters alone with him...

Sulla Felix

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

This story has always bothered me.

Even if this group of men were completely convinced that this man was innocent, they weren't there. Why would they take the chance on causing a victim even more distress simply because they have a hunch?

I don't think they were thinking of the victim at all.

vitani

The Irish Examiner are reporting that the priest said: "I don’t want to make any judgment on her at all, but obviously the whole situation must have been embarrassing, for the police to happen upon them and what-not. She’s the mother of a young child as well and, you know, that in itself doesn’t look great."

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/man-in-listowel-sex-assault-case-due-for-release-241637.html

seenitall

vitani wrote: »

The Irish Examiner are reporting that the priest said: "I don’t want to make any judgment on her at all, but obviously the whole situation must have been embarrassing, for the police to happen upon them and what-not. She’s the mother of a young child as well and, you know, that in itself doesn’t look great."

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/man-in-listowel-sex-assault-case-due-for-release-241637.html

WTF?? :(

Wacker The Attacker

Life wouldnt be worth living if people didnt find novel ways of surprising you

Henry9

Did you not know you live in a backward, corrupt, banana republic?

It's nothing to do with rape or religion. It's just bog standard Irish tribalism, parochialism and gombeenism.
Sure I know him and he's a grand lad, couldn't be his fault.

Everything gets done on the basis of someone making representations on someone else's behalf, the law is no different.
That's why the place is in the toilet.

There's still plenty of people will defend Bertie Ahern after all.

hatrickpatrick

My time machine!
IT WORKED!!!!!

fryup

Henry9 wrote: »

It's nothing to do with rape or religion. It's just bog standard Irish tribalism, parochialism and gombeenism.
Sure I know him and he's a grand lad, couldn't be his fault.

ah sure will you leave him alone, he goes to mass every sunday and he's in the local GAA club ...so he must be innocent

Menas

It drives me nuts that these numb skulls think that it is ok to support a convicted sex offender.
I hope that poor girl is strong and knows that right minded people support and feel for her.

token101

Henry9 wrote: »

Did you not know you live in a backward, corrupt, banana republic?

**** off with this stupid ****, seriously. Even in a recession, top ten living standards in the world.

WesternZulu

Caoimhín wrote: »

It is indeed strange. But then there are some seriously strange people out there.

Yeah, Kerry people!

Henry9

token101 wrote: »

**** off with this stupid ****, seriously. Even in a recession, top ten living standards in the world.

Says who?
Oh someone came up with an index, that's that sorted then.
It doesn't even contradict what I said anyway.

Virtually all of West Dublin was built on the back of bribery to line people's pockets.
The country is run on a nod and a wink, picking up the newspapers on any given day will show you that.

It was even revealed a couple of weeks ago that the Sunday Independent held off on running Mahon tribunal stories on B Ahern, because in return he was leaking stories to them.

DeadlyH83

Released from prison Danny Foley tells reporters to " leave me alone"

http://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/crime/danny-foley-moans-leave-alone-2246358