O’Dea: evict travellers accused of gang-rapes

THE group of Travellers wreaking havoc in Limerick and accused of gang raping eight local women must be evicted from their council houses by court order, Junior Justice Minister Willie O’Dea insisted yesterday.

Gardaí are investigating claims by a local GP that the gang attacked eight women in Southill over the past three months.

While gardaí yesterday confirmed they have still only received one official complaint of rape in Southill, they repeated their appeal to any woman from the area who has been raped recently to contact them in strictest confidence.

Mr O’Dea, who represents Limerick East and the Southill area, said he was satisfied the claims made by the GP were true. He said he had contacted the gardaí about this revelation.

“The assistant Commissioner has sought a report on these allegations and gardaí have a responsibility to target these gangs,” said Mr O’Dea. However, Limerick City Council also has a role in restoring order to Southill by seeking court orders to have the families responsible for most of this anti-social behaviour evicted from their homes, the minister added.

“The council has the power to do this and there is also a precedent for it in Limerick where one family has already been evicted for anti-social behaviour on the evidence of their housing officer,” said Mr O’Dea.

This was a major breakthrough because, prior to that case, a judge would not issue a court order to evict a family unless the person making the complaint got into the witness box.

“Many people were too afraid to give evidence against the people who were intimidating them for fear that there would be a backlash afterwards.”

The regulations have changed and now a judge will accept the evidence of the council’s housing official and it is much easier to get a court order.

No council spokesman could be reached for comment.

Meanwhile, Southill curate Fr Tom Carroll said the area needs “intensive care” and a multi-agency task force to solve its vast social and economic problems.

Mr O’Dea said he agreed with this but that a multi-agency approach was a long-term solution to the problem. “The more immediate way of solving this problem is for the gardaí to target this anti-social behaviour,” he added.