Fine Gael TD, Pat Breen Sought Early release of Paedophile - Where's the Outrage?

[UR Right]

In October 2006 SERVING Fine Gael TD, Pat Breen submitted a written Parliamentary Question to “Justice” Minister Michael McDowell, asking when a convicted paedophile would receive early release.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...reaking80.html

Nugent was already serving an insufficient six year prison sentence for the serious FORCED SEXUAL ABUSE of two young boys and was due for release in February 2008.

Pat Breen is in GOVERNMENT.

David Norris wrote a letter of leniency for his life time friend and lover on a charge of having consensual sex with a 15 year old (statutory rape under Israeli law).

I don’t agree with either but in context of the above, where is the outrage at Pat Breen continuing in government? Breen faced the electorate in 2007 and 2011, should Norris be given the same opportunity?

I did not think that the Magill letter release was a smear but the rhetoric around the current letter stinks of double standards, homophobia, and a right wing witch hunt. One cannot overlook the source of this leak either, supporters of Israeli child murderers!

Any heterosexual saying that they would not be tempted by a mature 15 year old girl seducing them is a liar! Whether they then choose to act on this temptation is a matter of conscience and one which they will pay the price for. To be clear, it would be wrong in my opinion to so act but I distinguish the gravity of this from the forced abuse of two young boys, the crime for which Pat Breen sought the early release of an offender.

The fact that Ezra’s sexual act was with a 15 year old and not a girl is, I am absolutely certain, fuelling some of the outrage, and this is can be true whether the “offended” are conscious of it or not.

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Not sure about the comment of 'any heterosexual (presumably male?') not being tempted by being seduced by a 15 year old girl' is quite right to be honest. It would frighten the living daylights out of me to have such a thing going on- I can honestly say that it would be a case of a few fairly acidic comments from me. A 15 year old to me is a child and the definitions of law wouldn't come into it.

It would not be a pleasant experience and I certainly would discourage it instantly.

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

On the subject of Breen I am amazed that any TD from 2006 would be so stupid as to attempt to agitate for early release of a convicted paedophile. If he was my TD he would be hearing my views on his matter directly and in no uncertain fashion.

I would be inclined to ask what reason he had for making such a request.

[TotalMayhem]

Pat Breen Sought Early release of Paedophile

Asking, 'when someone is eligible to' is not exactly equal to 'seeking' early release. (The full article is behind a pay wall)

(statutory rape under Israeli law).

Unlawful sexual contact with a person aged under 17 years is a criminal offence in Ireland too.

[Holly]

Can a 15 year-old girl even know what sex is?

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

No. She may have some notion of it physically from books, from television and film but by definition to my mind any 15 year old girl attempting to seduce an older man is struggling for an understanding of what relationships and sexual matters are about.

That would be far too secure an appearance of maturity in a 15 year old to be convincing.

[Holly]

No. She may have some notion of it physically from books, from television and film but by definition to my mind any 15 year old girl attempting to seduce an older man is struggling for an understanding of what relationships and sexual matters are about.

That would be far too secure an appearance of maturity in a 15 year old to be convincing.

An Irish 15 year-old girl wanting to have sex with Brad Pitt is hard to imagine, I grant you, Captain.

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

An Irish 15 year old girl can pretty well imagine accompanying Brad Pitt to film openings and various romantic fictions I am sure in her mind's eye but while many 15 year olds will be aware of the mechanics of sex I am sure the emotion around it would be concluded by her as a far greater commitment to her than a mature man might see as a commitment.

Thats the bit the 15 year old girl won't get. Thats why they are too young to understand that what may be a huge commitment to them may not necessarily be so for a mature man.

[Dr. FIVE]

There would be quite a few TDs who have made representations and given statements on behalf of murderers and rapists I expect. All in a days work.

[TotalMayhem]

Wasn't it Breen's fellow Clare TD Tony Killeen who made representations on Nugent's behalf as well?

[Andrew49]

A TD denied seeking the early release of a convicted paedophile. Fine Gael deputy, Pat Breen, asked the Dáil when 74-year-old sex offender Joseph Nugent, from Dromellihy, Cree, Co Clare, would be eligible to leave prison. Nugent, a bachelor farmer of 65 acres, near Kilrush, was jailed four years ago after subjecting his neighbour’s son to a six year campaign of sex abuse, starting when the victim was just eight. He was found guilty in 2002 of buggery with the child 23 times and indecently assaulting him on a further 24 occasions. In 2004, he was given a further six-year concurrent sentence for other offences. Mr McDowell replied:

“In view of the very serious nature of these offences, I am not prepared to authorise any form of early release in this case.”

Mr Breen insisted he was not seeking Nugent’s early release but was looking to establish his expected release date from Midlands Prison, Portlaoise, after a “legitimate” query from a relative of the paedophile.

“I never made representations to have this convicted man released, nor would I. I’m a family man,” said Mr Breen. “This was simply a point of information with the Department of Justice. An elderly relative of the convicted man contacted me, on a very legitimate query, seeking clarification to know when this man would be released and I submitted it in a parliamentary question. In hindsight now, I suppose, maybe the question should have been worded very differently, because it did leave it open for people to interpret in a different way.”

Mr Breen said relations of Nugent were under the impression he would be freed next year or the year after. There was a “certain amount of confusion” over the date, he said. He told RTÉ radio:

“I deplore his crimes and the acts he committed and I want to make that quite clear. I would never represent this man. Neither would I seek to alter the course of justice in relation to this.”

Sentencing Nugent, Judge Bryan McMahon said he had acted in a premeditated and predatory nature for his own self-gratification and beastly pleasure and was physically violent towards his victim.

Link

It seems to me that McDowell thought it WAS a plea from the TD for 'early release':

I am not prepared to authorise any form of early release in this case

[matt]

Nugent's actions were just plain evil, and are far beyond the actions of Norris' partner.

Pat Breen's intervention is more akin to the equally sickening violent rape in Kerry, fairly recently, where the Parish priest was character witness for the defendant.

Norris' downfall seems to be clearly due to the fact that people will/might construe the Magill remarks as suggesting that he ideologically found nothing wrong with the actions of his partner, or at least entertained such an outlook at the time of that particular article.

While there certainly seems to have been some deliberate contrivance in the way these details were timed, I can't say that I think he has satisfactorily made account of them.
I haven't been following the story very closely, so please correct anything as necessary, but did he deny the substance of the Magill quotations beyond saying that they were taken out of context ?
Unless there was jigsaw-like editing used, I think his words were way beyond inappropriate.

The thing is, this material has been in the public domain for years now, has regularly been brough up by people on forums (regulary scrutinised by journalists & their researchers), etc.
But only when the gentleman from one-in-four criticised Norris did the media drop their support.

I think it's an insult generally to hold that gay men are disposed towards adolescents, but many journalists seem to tacitly accept that some are and to see nothing wrong with this.
There was a similar case where Colm Toibín pleaded on behalf of an associate who was charged with the statutory rape of a 15 yr. old.
But it's not restricted to gays - Bill Wyman had an affair with a 14 yr old, Jimmy Page, too.
There is a hypocracy at play, certainly.
I read one psychologist say that an adult has a distinct advantage of experience and maturity over a teenager or child, and any even apparent consent is void because of this, and all such cases should be regarded as rape.

[Judas]

Pat Breen should be ashamed of himself, and the FG party should not tolerate this type of behaviour. There is no excuse for this.