Victims groups hit at judge’s remarks

A JUDGE who accused the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) of abusing the judicial system has been criticised for his remarks by members of victim support organisations.

Colm O’Gorman, the founder of Oneinfour, a support group for sexual abuse victims, said he was ‘surprised and a little shocked,’ that Mr Justice Paul Carney had openly criticised the DRCC at a weekend conference of the Irish Women Lawyers’ Association.

Mr Justice Paul Carney, who presides over the Central Criminal Court, criticised a DRCC victim impact report, presented in court, which said the severity of a sentence would determine the degree to which the victim became reconciled with the justice system.