another suspended sentence

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/newlywed-who-had-sex-with-girl-12-walks-free-from-court-2247064.html

Colin Reynolds (27), a father of two from Highfield, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, admitted sexually assaulting the girl on a date between June and August 2002 when he was 19. He is one of six men before the courts -- and the third to be sentenced -- for sexually assaulting the girl when she was aged between 12 and 13.

Sentencing him to 18 months' imprisonment but suspending this for five years, Judge Raymond Fullam said he accepted his remorse was genuine.

...
Taking the stand, an emotional Reynolds -- whose daughters are five and two -- said the pending sentencing had put "a bit of a dampener" on his wedding day last month.

Are they all on drugs in those courts or what?

Oh and a bit of a dampener on the wedding day - boo hoo. If I were the bride it would be a major dampener, marrying someone who had sex with an underage girl :rolleyes:

r3nu4l

It's scaaandalous Joe, bleedin' scandalous!

Dravokivich

Gda Feeney confirmed the troubled young victim, now aged 20, had kept a detailed diary that included the names of 60 men. And she claimed to have had sex with 21 of the men named.

That bítch!

This isn't the fuking church.. Genuine remorse shouldn't get you off scott free.
Sick bullshlt.

henryporter

Ah but look at the progress in our society - a couple of centuries ago the victim would have been drowned as a witch

--Kaiser--

bluewolf wrote: »

marrying someone who had sex with an underage girl :rolleyes:

Aye, his bride must be one classy bird

antodeco

Without sounding like I am protecting him at all (which I am not), it does sound like the 12 year old girl knew what she was doing, and has been since...

easyeason3

A bit of a dampener on his wedding day?

I sincerely hope it puts a major dampener on the rest of his life.

antodeco

antodeco wrote: »

Without sounding like I am protecting him at all (which I am not), it does sound like the 12 year old girl knew what she was doing, and has been since...

It doesn't matter. She's 12 and not considered old enough to give consent.

I would be DYING to know why this plank gets a suspended sentence, guaranteed it has happened and will happen again that a 17 year old with his 16 year old girlfriend would be locked up.

--Kaiser--

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

Aye, his bride must be one classy bird

He didn't have sex with the girl as far as I know..

easyeason3

antodeco wrote: »

Without sounding like I am protecting him at all (which I am not), it does sound like the 12 year old girl knew what she was doing, and has been since...

Ok even if she was it's still wrong.
When you were 19 would you have rode, or whatever it is they got up to, with a 12 year old however much she put it out there to be had?

antodeco

bluewolf wrote: »

It doesn't matter. She's 12 and not considered old enough to give consent.

I would be DYING to know why this plank gets a suspended sentence, guaranteed it has happened and will happen again that a 17 year old with his 16 year old girlfriend would be locked up.

easyeason3 wrote: »

Ok even if she was it's still wrong.
When you were 19 would you have rode a 12 year old however much she out it out there to be had?

No, I completley agree that she was underage, and that he was "overage" in relation to age difference, but theres so many children being tarted up like 18 year olds, whether they do it purposely or not (alot of the time its the parents fault). It states that when she was 12/13, there were another 6 men on the same charges? Something sounds someway fishy about it.

easyeason3

antodeco wrote: »

No, I completley agree that she was underage, and that he was "overage" in relation to age difference, but theres so many children being tarted up like 18 year olds, whether they do it purposely or not (alot of the time its the parents fault). It states that when she was 12/13, there were another 6 men on the same charges? Something sounds someway fishy about it.

Yeah the someway fishy is that no matter how developed you are or tarted up as a 12 year old you will still look like a child & unless these men were Stevie Wonder I fail to see how they couldn't have known.

Whether she wanted it or not is irrelevant. They are adults, at least in the eyes of the law, & they were the ones to let this happen.

And yes I would question where her parents were too.

El Siglo

There's a reason why there's an age of consent. Fuck sake, what fucking planet are people on? Oh she knew what she was doing, bullshit, she's still a fucking child. A bit of a dampner on the wedding? It's amazing how everyone was so willing to jump on the Ryan Report bandwagon last year, blame the catholic church for abusing children and yet a fucker like this sexually assaults a child and gets a suspended sentence? Or the stupid bint he's marrying actually goes ahead with it. I wouldn't be surprised if he's up in court again for abusing any of the children he might have in the future. God might fucking forgive you, but the state shouldn't. I'm not surprised anymore, people are fucking retarded.

Macca07

So if you show remorse you get away with it...

What a complete fooking joke of a system.

The judge who handed out that sentence must be seriously confused with the way the world works!!!

walshb

Macca07 wrote: »

The judge who handed out that sentence must be seriously confused with the way the world works!!!

What's new?

the_syco

Taking the stand, an emotional Reynolds -- whose daughters are five and two -- said the pending sentencing had put "a bit of a dampener" on his wedding day last month.[/quoote]

The judge added that Reynolds would carry the social disgrace from being placed on the sex offenders' register for five years.

[qupte]Paul Gilmore (30) and Kenneth McDonald (34), both from Lawne Park, Ballyshannon, Co Donegal, are serving jail sentences for sexually assaulting the girl.

He got away with it, and he has two daughters. Two other men went to jail for it. Why wasn't he sent to jail? I do hope it's not because he has a "family" now.

aDeener

this is obviously terrible but what id like to know is how do they prove he done anything with her 8 years ago barring an admission of guilt of course, she could have written men's names that she just fancied but never went near her

entropi

Seriously...how DO these judges get into power? almost as bad as the feckin politicians ffs with their idiotic decisions:mad:

Judges are supposed to uphold the law by sending scum to jail for a long time, but they plead/feign remorse or some such bullsh*t excuse and get off with suspended sentences all the time...

Maybe the suspended sentence should only be used in minor offences (max jail term of 6 months) from now on?

How that guy got off is beyond all comprehension...should have been locked up for minimum of 5 years.

Ruu_Old

Master of Nothing wrote: »

Seriously...how DO these judges get into power? almost as bad as the feckin politicians ffs with their idiotic decisions:mad:

Judges are supposed to uphold the law by sending scum to jail for a long time, but they plead/feign remorse or some such bullsh*t excuse and get off with suspended sentences all the time...

Maybe the suspended sentence should only be used in minor offences (max jail term of 6 months) from now on?

How that guy got off is beyond all comprehension...should have been locked up for minimum of 5 years.

They collect 20 tokens from the Lyons Tea boxes.

thebigbiffo

this whole case is f'ucked up and shouldn't represent a bandwagon for people to jump on regarding sentencing or child abuse.

this girls parents went f'ucking drinking with lads who they know full well were shagging their daughter. the girl, although waaayyy too young knew exactly what she was doing and she admitted hiding her age from these men. these lads were all in their late teens when this **** happened and the age difference, if there is even a shred of doubt about what this girl looked like, acted like or told these guys is negligable and doesn't automatically scream 'peado childabuser' in my mind. if you ask me, the f'uckin parents should be charged too. i've no sympathy for these lads, but this case is no cut and dry 'let them hang' senario and some of the lynch mob on here should show some objectivity.

reprazant

thebigbiffo wrote: »

this whole case is f'ucked up and shouldn't represent a bandwagon for people to jump on regarding sentencing or child abuse.

this girls parents went f'ucking drinking with lads who they know full well were shagging their daughter. the girl, although waaayyy too young knew exactly what she was doing and she admitted hiding her age from these men. these lads were all in their late teens when this **** happened and the age difference, if there is even a shred of doubt about what this girl looked like, acted like or told these guys is negligable and doesn't automatically scream 'peado childabuser' in my mind. if you ask me, the f'uckin parents should be charged too. i've no sympathy for these lads, but this case is no cut and dry 'let them hang' senario and some of the lynch mob on here should show some objectivity.

Eh, biffo, you are not actually meant to read about the case and look at it objectively.

You are just meant to scream and shout and say that they should have had their balls chopped off, etc and generally act like the idiots who seem to appear in tabloids and the likes of Sky News who say that lynching is too good for them.

prinz

thebigbiffo wrote: »

this whole case is f'ucked up and shouldn't represent a bandwagon for people to jump on regarding sentencing or child abuse..

It's a bandwagon? No, I think people are just unhappy with a suspended sentence in the case of an adult engaging in inappropriate sexual conduct with a child, regardless of how she looked or what she did.

There is more to this case, but that doesn't mean a suspended sentence should be applied here, nor that people should be happy about it.

phill106

Im guessing she was a promiscuous 12-13 year old who looked older then she was, and lied about age.
I too blame the parents. Wont somebody please think of the children!

PeterIanStaker

Deleted User wrote: »

This isn't the fuking church.

Its definitely not the Church, article said 12 year old girl

reprazant

reprazant wrote: »

Eh, biffo, you are not actually meant to read about the case and look at it objectively.

You are just meant to scream and shout and say that they should have had their balls chopped off, etc and generally act like the idiots who seem to appear in tabloids and the likes of Sky News who say that lynching is too good for them.

There's a vast chasm between suspended sentence and castration. I'm pretty sure most of us are falling in the middle.
I don't care how she or the parents acted. Charge the parents too, but a suspended sentence for him is still ridiculous.

El Siglo

Ruu wrote: »

They collect 20 tokens from the Lyons Tea boxes.

Collect 25 and get a free vuvuzela.

thebigbiffo

reprazant wrote: »

Eh, biffo, you are not actually meant to read about the case and look at it objectively.

You are just meant to scream and shout and say that they should have had their balls chopped off, etc and generally act like the idiots who seem to appear in tabloids and the likes of Sky News who say that lynching is too good for them.

whoops, sorry. i'll go fetch my pitchfork...

and in response to the rest of the mob, my opinion is a suspended sentence is the right call here. this guys in his late 20's now with 2 kids to look after. a judge forming the opinion that he's seen the error of his ways or has seem some mitigating factors in the case is fine with me. he didn't kill anyone, has shown remorse and yer one was obviously sluttin around town while her folks drank themselves silly.

people...SHE SLEPT WITH 30 ODD lads, kept there names and f'ucking rated them. she was 13 (only a few years younger than most of these fellas at the time) and she knew exactly what she was doing. comparing this to institutional abuse insults the victims in those cases ffs

mikom

thebigbiffo wrote: »

people...SHE SLEPT WITH 30 ODD lads, kept there names and f'ucking rated them. she was 13

Top of the pops was so much different in my day.

celticbest

Simple mandatory sentencing minimum time for each type of crime but the judge can increase a sentence if deemed at the more severe end of the scale.

El Siglo

thebigbiffo wrote: »

whoops, sorry. i'll go fetch my pitchfork...

and in response to the rest of the mob, my opinion is a suspended sentence is the right call here. this guys in his late 20's now with 2 kids to look after. a judge forming the opinion that he's seen the error of his ways or has seem some mitigating factors in the case is fine with me. he didn't kill anyone, has shown remorse and yer one was obviously sluttin around town while her folks drank themselves silly.

people...SHE SLEPT WITH 30 ODD lads, kept there names and f'ucking rated them. she was 13 (only a few years younger than most of these fellas at the time) and she knew exactly what she was doing. comparing this to institutional abuse insults the victims in those cases ffs

How do you know what's going through her head? She was still a fucking child, if these lads had sex with her it's still statutory rape. After the Ryan Report, the state now has a duty of care towards children. No matter how much you don't like it, no matter how much you think the victim is a little 'hussy', the law is the law and these lads should be prosecuted to the full extent of it. Regardless of their position now. I'm not calling for a lynch mob, just a mandatory sentence.
The bit that everyone is missing is that this case could be used as a defence in the future where you could have an adult who raped a child claiming he didn't know, he was young at the time himself etc... this case will set an ugly precendent for any future victims.

easyeason3

easyeason3 wrote: »

Yeah the someway fishy is that no matter how developed you are or tarted up as a 12 year old you will still look like a child & unless these men were Stevie Wonder I fail to see how they couldn't have known.

Not always, I worked in a place before and there was a gorgeous girl working there.. Really really stunning like. So second day, after working with her the day before, one of the lads goes 'what age do ya think she is?'. I say 20-21.. He goes 'yea everyone who sees her says that, she's only 13, workin here illegally'.

Never been so shocked.. She didn't even look tarty nd before I found out, I thought she was better looking than pretty much anyone else I knew at the time. She even acted older.

Definition of jailbait.

thebigbiffo

El Siglo wrote: »

How do you know what's going through her head? She was still a fucking child, if these lads had sex with her it's still statutory rape. After the Ryan Report, the state now has a duty of care towards children. No matter how much you don't like it, no matter how much you think the victim is a little 'hussy', the law is the law and these lads should be prosecuted to the full extent of it. Regardless of their position now. I'm not calling for a lynch mob, just a mandatory sentence.
The bit that everyone is missing is that this case could be used as a defence in the future where you could have an adult who raped a child claiming he didn't know, he was young at the time himself etc... this case will set an ugly precendent for any future victims.

i'm saying there are mitigating circumstances, that's all. if those include her being a hussy, looking over the age of 13, being well aware of her actions and basically acting like an adult then so be it, and the judge is right to take that into account.

if in another case the circumstances are different, then the judge will sentence taking that into account. i stand by my opinion, based on the facts we are given, that a suspended senntence is right here.

brianthebard

thebigbiffo wrote: »

this whole case is f'ucked up and shouldn't represent a bandwagon for people to jump on regarding sentencing or child abuse.

this girls parents went f'ucking drinking with lads who they know full well were shagging their daughter. the girl, although waaayyy too young knew exactly what she was doing and she admitted hiding her age from these men. these lads were all in their late teens when this **** happened and the age difference, if there is even a shred of doubt about what this girl looked like, acted like or told these guys is negligable and doesn't automatically scream 'peado childabuser' in my mind. if you ask me, the f'uckin parents should be charged too. i've no sympathy for these lads, but this case is no cut and dry 'let them hang' senario and some of the lynch mob on here should show some objectivity.

Agree with this, the headline is very misleading, yes it was a case of statutory rape, but that's an outdated concept that should be done away with, there needs to be more accountability on both sides and consideration of the facts, not a cut and dry conviction based solely on age. If anything that's probably what the judge did here, but instead of being considered progressive or thoughtful he's an idiot that got to be a judge by collecting tea bag tokens. Additionally, people here need to realise that the statutory rape rule is equally applicable to a 16 year old and her boyfriend who's a month older than her as it is to this chap. Is that really the sort of absolutist, no consideration of the facts sort of legal system we want to continue to use?

fizzynicenice

Blah blah blah, high horse, high horse, high horse...
Everybody shut the fuck up

Celly Smunt

r3nu4l wrote: »

It's scaaandalous Joe, bleedin' scandalous!

go on! go on sure! go on!

OutlawPete

easyeason3 wrote: »

.. no matter how developed you are or tarted up as a 12 year old you will still look like a child & unless these men were Stevie Wonder I fail to see how they couldn't have known.

Sorry, but that's just not true.

I have seen loads of hot girls that turned out to be 12 or 13, especially black girls.

There isn't a man alive who would doubt if this girl was of legal age.

The girl is 13 in that pic by the way.

prinz

brianthebard wrote: »

Agree with this, the headline is very misleading, yes it was a case of statutory rape, but that's an outdated concept that should be done away with, there needs to be more accountability on both sides and consideration of the facts, not a cut and dry conviction based solely on age.

This would be alright if it was an isolated incident. It wasn't, it was part of months of incidents. It would also be a bit of a grey area if the context was a girl in a pub or a niteclub etc and a one night stand, it wasn't, this girl was repeatedly sexually assaulted by some of these 'men' on the grounds of a primary school, amongst others. There are other men serving prison sentences for offences involving this girl. Some of these men were almost 30 when the acts took place, and the girl 12/13.

Her parents should also be investigated and, as appears appropriate, charged.

brianthebard wrote: »

Additionally, people here need to realise that the statutory rape rule is equally applicable to a 16 year old and her boyfriend who's a month older than her as it is to this chap. Is that really the sort of absolutist, no consideration of the facts sort of legal system we want to continue to use?

There's a huge difference between a 16 and 17 year old and what happened in this case.

brianthebard

prinz wrote: »

There's a huge difference between a 16 and 17 year old and what happened in this case.

Perhaps, but they are both statutory rape which is the point I was making. I'm not saying the guy should be let go scot free either, but its obviously a more complicated case than most here seem to think. The place these things happen does not substantially change the situation imo.

prinz

brianthebard wrote: »

The place these things happen does not substantially change the situation imo.

Well it does affect the standing of the accused IMO.

For instance Case 1, man goes into niteclub has ID checked at door etc, meets girl in there takes her back to his place they have sex he gets charged. In that instance if he claims he truly believed she was over 18, due to the fact that he assumed the bouncers would have checked her ID etc too, to me he'd have more of a leg to stand on, than someone who meets a girl on the street and takes her home.

brianthebard

prinz wrote: »

Well it does affect the standing of the accused IMO.

For instance Case 1, man goes into niteclub has ID checked at door etc, meets girl in there takes her back to his place they have sex he gets charged. In that instance if he claims he truly believed she was over 18, due to the fact that he assumed the bouncers would have checked her ID etc too, to me he'd have more of a leg to stand on, than someone who meets a girl on the street and takes her home.

Maybe to you but not to the courts.

prinz

brianthebard wrote: »

Maybe to you but not to the courts.

Statutory is statutory but the circumstances can affect the sentence after all, so yes potentially even to the courts.

K-9

prinz wrote: »

This would be alright if it was an isolated incident. It wasn't, it was part of months of incidents. It would also be a bit of a grey area if the context was a girl in a pub or a niteclub etc and a one night stand, it wasn't, this girl was repeatedly sexually assaulted by some of these 'men' on the grounds of a primary school, amongst others. There are other men serving prison sentences for offences involving this girl. Some of these men were almost 30 when the acts took place, and the girl 12/13.

Her parents should also be investigated and, as appears appropriate, charged.



There's a huge difference between a 16 and 17 year old and what happened in this case.

Indeed, it's a very strange case and there is more too it than that article.

Must be one messed up woman now though.

easyeason3

Deleted User wrote: »

Not always, I worked in a place before and there was a gorgeous girl working there.. Really really stunning like. So second day, after working with her the day before, one of the lads goes 'what age do ya think she is?'. I say 20-21.. He goes 'yea everyone who sees her says that, she's only 13, workin here illegally'.

Never been so shocked.. She didn't even look tarty nd before I found out, I thought she was better looking than pretty much anyone else I knew at the time. She even acted older.

Definition of jailbait.

Ok I get what your saying.
Personally I find it hard to see how someone who is 13 can look like a 20-21 year old but I'm not doubting it can happen.

At 19 that man should have made a better judgement call.

thebigbiffo

easyeason3 wrote: »

At 19 that man should have made a better judgement call.

19? sex invloved? better judgement? these 3 statements do not mix

easyeason3

thebigbiffo wrote: »

19? sex invloved? better judgement? these 3 statements do not mix

Well that's a piss poor cop out in my opinion.

OutlawPete

easyeason3 wrote: »

At 19 that man should have made a better judgement call.

You expect them to be psychic?

You never addressed my post above.

Would you doubt that this 13 year old girl was not at least 17?

As an example, as there are many like her.

easyeason3

OutlawPete wrote: »

You expect them to be psychic?

You never addressed my post above.

Would you doubt that this 13 year old girl was not at least 17?

Sorry! I'm still in work & trying to look like I'm working but have a sneaky look at boards.

She certainly looks older than 13 so yes I can see how it can be confusing. However she has had her hair done, her make up, she has a dress on that is a bit old for her & I can only presume she is in an adult setting. Anyway given those factors she does look more than 13, but she still looks young.

And no people shouldn't need to rely on their psychic abilities to make a judgement call that can ruin the rest of their lives & follow them around like a bad smell.

Mrmoe

OutlawPete wrote: »

You expect them to be psychic?

You never addressed my post above.

Would you doubt that this 13 year old girl was not at least 17?

As an example, as there are many like her.

If you met her at the back of a primary school that should give you plenty of suspicion that she was underage. While the girl you show might look 17 when she is dolled up, it should be reasonably easy by talking to someone to tell their age. No one is saying that mistakes can not be made and perhaps should be taken into account but in this specific case I do not think the guy should have received a suspended sentence. The sentence in this case was too lenient.

There is a big difference between this incident and say the case of two 16 year olds bf/gf having sex.

OutlawPete

easyeason3 wrote: »

She certainly looks older than 13 so yes I can see how it can be confusing. However she has had her hair done, her make up, she has a dress on that is a bit old for her & I can only presume she is in an adult setting. Anyway given those factors she does look more than 13, but she still looks young.

Younger than 17 though?

Certain sections of society has almost made sexuality in young people a taboo.

Young girls are supposed to be sexy when they start to go though puberty, as are young boys - that's just nature.

Most people adults realise how precious young people's sexuality is and how we can regret decisions made when young, so we have an age of consent.

However, sometimes young men can be surrounded by young girls and can easily believe that a 13 year is in fact 17.

The fact that the girl also says they are, compounds the issue

Look at Traci Lords, she made a few dozen porn movies and became the the No1 pornstar in America at the time, fooling the public and an entire adult industry that she was of legal age.

easyeason3 wrote: »

And no people shouldn't need to rely on their psychic abilities to make a judgement call ..

So how should they be able to tell then?

When a girl is 13 but looks 18 and over, how are they supposed to know exactly?

Here's Aliana Lohan on the front cover of a magazine, she was 14 at the time.

OutlawPete

Mrmoe wrote: »

If you met her at the back of a primary school that should give you plenty of suspicion that she was underage.

Why?

Sounds like these school shelters were a place were many people hung out.

I can show you many other school shelters in Ireland, that at the weekend are full of teens drinking.

The school shelters that I drank in as a kid are still being used today for the same purposes we used them, it has zero to do with this case.

This girl kept a diary of the men she was with and seemed to be actively fooling older boys that she was not underage.

There is one thing in the report that sounded odd though, that he met her on her confirmation day, did he know that it was her confirmation day or what?

Strange that not more emphasis was put on this as that would change things entirely.

Mrmoe wrote: »

While the girl you show might look 17 when she is dolled up..

13 and 14 year olds are dolled up though, that's the point.

Mrmoe wrote: »

No one is saying that mistakes can not be made and perhaps should be taken into account but in this specific case ..

They can't take mistakes in regards to a girls age in ANY case now, that's the point.

It has been removed in law so that it can no longer be used as a defense.

Mrmoe wrote: »

There is a big difference between this incident and say the case of two 16 year olds bf/gf having sex.

If he thought she was over the legal age, then why is there a big difference?