Justice?
A FATHER of eight children, Anthony Nagle, was jailed yesterday for 12 months for plying a 15-year-old with drink and joints before videoing himself raping her over a period of hours.
Shamefully his defence asked the court that didn't the girl 'look like a sophisticated female in the video'. I do not need to see it to know that NO she did not, however for a predatory bastard intent on violating her this sick excuse is a flimsy shield that is churned out and unfortunately some people seem to agree.
While I know there is no place for personal feelings in court, I cannot help but wonder if that rapist scum's defence have daughters and how would they feel if their daughter was violated in such an awful way if they would say 'well she does look old for her age'.
The defence even tried to claim the ordeal happened over a short period of time, despite a clock in the video showing this not to be the case and how the girl held the video at one point, both arguments were completely dismissed by the Garda investigating the case.
Sometimes Judges' hands are tied in terms of sentencing but in this case Nagle could and should have been looking at being sentenced to the maximum 14 years for producing child pornography, instead he received two years in jail with the last year suspended. I have to say I was nearly sick watching the TV3 news coverage, who interviewed him!!!
I also wonder why he was put on the sex offenders register for 10 years, will he be cured by that stage?
I just love how we value and protect our children. And 15 year olds are children, quit with this bollox of how 'she looked older' 'said she was older', or whatever nonsense argument is also used. Wouldn't you just love to take a big stick to our judiciary?
7 comments:
A truly sickening sentence. And such a pathetic defence. How 'sophisticated' she looked is so utterly irrelevant. Leaving aside her age, this was rape. Add in the fact that she was only 15 makes it worse, but even if she had been an adult it would still be sexual assault. Never mind 14 years for making child pornography, the maximum sentence for rape is life imprisonment. Not that you'd know it in this country.
Steady on, Red Mum, you're starting to sound like News of the World with that post. I agree that it was a shockingly short sentence for such a terrible crime.
RTE reports that:
"Nagle told the court that he was drinking heavily at the time and thought she was over the age of consent and he apologised to her"
But the story also says...
"The court was told that during the evening, the girl's mother rang frantic with worry because her daughter had not arrived home at teatime as planned. He told her not to worry that she was probable still out celebrating her results."
So he obviously DID know she was underage and thus there is no defence for his actions whatsoever.
It's a ridiculous sentence.
i could cry
This hand-slap sentence is really depressing but given the results of the recent Irish national opinion poll about attitudes to rape, sadly unsurprising. Many people are all too ready to assign at least partial blame to women (and obviously children if they look like women!) for sex crimes committed against them.
I just love how we value and protect our children.
Yep. This is about how Irish society refuses to hold violent men responsible for their actions to the extent that it could and should. Women and children are still second class citizens. This sentence just underlines already existing message - don't think you can look like a sophisticated female and not be punished for it. And let's not forget, don't think you can flirt or take a walk alone at night and not be punished for it. The judge has got your back, son.
@Damian - You're right how she looked has nothing to do with anything. I mentioned it because it was used in the defence.
@The great wee azoo - I don't understand what you mean! I don't believe I am sensationalising anything and am entitled to call that Judge out on a disgraceful sentence particularly when he had tougher sentences at his disposal. It makes me think that some of what the defence said hit the mark with the Judge.
@United Irelander - of course he knew what age she was. Its an awful thought that the Mum rang him while this was being orchestrated.
@anon - I know the feeling.
@C.K - that recent survey was seriously disturbing. I remember a couple of years back a young fella (late teen) abused much his younger sister. In this case (though I have heard differently before) they couldn't blame the young child, so they turned the blame on their mother!
There's an overriding feeling for me that the incident/abuse/rape of this child was not taken as seriously as it should have.
And why on earth where TV3 interviewing him? I am at a complete loss as to why they would do that. It was very upsetting to see it. It is one time I would say thank God their web presence is sh*t.
I agree with you 100% Red Mum. It's a very sad and shocking story. Violence against women and girls escalates and still the old myths are perpetuated that we ask for it, we bring it on ourselves. It seems we as a country have not moved on much in the last twenty years.
Absolutely disgraceful.
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