This article is from page 4 of the 2007-05-15 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE Rape Crisis Centre in the mid- west has said it is only fair that con- victed rapist Adam Keane will serve time in jail. Its co-ordinator, Miriam Duffy, asked, however, what role the media played in the judge’s decision to lift the suspension of his three- year sentence.
“We are delighted that the judge imposed a sentence. The question 1s, would he have done that without all the furore in the press?” she asked.
“We are delighted for Mary and her family. The fact that she had the cour- age to go public with it has helped
all the rape crisis centres. There is a need for consistency in sentencing,’ added Ms Duffy.
“She has so widely publicised the inconsistencies in the sentencing by going public. She has done an amount for the rape and sexual abuse agendas in Ireland,” she said.
She said the Rape Crisis Network would continue to fight for sentenc- ing guidelines in rape and sexual of- fence cases.
“Without a doubt, the fact that she has had the courage to stand up and highlight it will hopefully lead to more work being done on this. It will hopefully have moved it up the
Justice department’s agenda. We ap- plaud her courage,” she said.
She pointed out that Keane had not gone to jail for raping the victim, but for “contempt of court.”
Earlier this month, the Rape Crisis Centre warned that this particular case may lead to a reduction in the number of rape victims coming for- ward. Figures published by the CSO showed that the number of reported sexual offences dropped by 44.5 per cent during the first quarter, when compared with the same three-month period last year.
Ms Duffy said that last Friday’s court ruling might encourage vic-
tims to come forward.
“IT would hope it would encourage people to report more. The March sentence (suspended) would have had a hugely negative impact. Now that the people see it changed, they may have more hope,” she said.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael Council- lor and general election candidate Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) has welcomed last Friday’s decision.
“Some attempt was made for justice to be seen to be done,” she said.
She said that the victim had gone through a huge amount of suffering, pain and trauma throughout her or- Ol F