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- SPORT
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Breaking stories
On the move
SPECULATION mounted last night regarding where rapist Larry Murphy intends to live after he was pictured at Dublin’s Heuston Station disembarking from the Cork to Dublin train.
By Noel Baker and Claire O’Sullivan
The growing concern comes as the former governor of Mountjoy Prison, John Lonergan, said the convicted rapist needed to be left alone to reintegrate into society. Murphy, 45, was released from prison on Thursday having served more than 10 years for the repeated rape and attempted murder of a Carlow businesswoman in February 2000.
Yesterday, he looked haggard and drawn after getting off the Cork to Dublin train in Heuston Station at 4.30pm.
The former carpenter had complained to gardaí hours after his release after being pursued by a number of motorcyclists.
There had been speculation that Murphy was planning to leave the country, although his train journey yesterday has led to concerns he may well be considering settling in Ireland.
The speculation regarding the Wicklow- born rapist’s whereabouts and relocation plans shows no signs of abating, with a series of Facebook sites now charting his movements.
On Wednesday night, an angry crowd gathered outside a halfway house in Coolock in the mistaken assumption that he was inside.
Speaking last night, Mr Lonergan said he was concerned at some of the reaction following Murphy’s release.
“Anyone with common sense will say that communities have a right to be protected and I can understand their fear and their anxiety. On the other hand, a person who has been sentenced, who has served their sentence, also has the right to mend his or her ways and to reintegrate back into society.
“Personally I think the way it’s [the monitoring of Murphy] being dealt with by the gardaí – managing it on a low-profile basis – that is the only way. Any other thing like society taking it into their own hands and standing outside houses picketing, that’s over the top.”
Mr Lonergan went on to suggest society needed to have “the belief that people can change”.
His comments came as gardaí confirmed that there are approximately 1,100 people currently on the sex offenders register in Ireland.
It has also emerged that under a provision to be introduced in December next year, any Irish national who commits a crime in another EU country can be supervised by the Probation Service in this country.
Larry Murphy is not engaging with the Probation Service as he was sentenced before the implementation of the Sex Offenders Act in 2001.
The director of the Probation Service, Michael Donnellan, said 150 sex offenders were working with the service at any one time, with a further 150 offenders in prison waiting to access services. Under the terms of any post-release programme, any offender not co-operating can be brought back before the courts. However, Mr Donnellan said that number was “very small”.
He said under the terms of the EU Transfer of Probation Supervision Framework, to be introduced in December next year, any Irish resident who commits a crime – including a sex crime – in another EU country can be supervised by the Probation Service here.