Judge refuses to halt sex offender applications

A HIGH Court judge yesterday rejected a request by a victim of statutory rape to adjourn applications by sex offenders to be released until new laws were brought in.

Mr Justice Barry White made the remark when dealing with an application for the immediate release of a 19-year-old man serving an 11-month sentence for the unlawful carnal knowledge of a 15-year-old girl.

Mr Justice Barry White said he had heard the appeals on the Joe Duffy radio show on RTÉ.

But he said it would be “clearly repugnant” to his declaration of office for him to act in such a way.

The request was made by Nuala Murphy, a sister of Simon Murphy, who in a separate case was convicted of sexual abuse and unlawful carnal knowledge in relation to Ms Murphy and three other victims in 2002.

Speaking on the Joe Duffy show yesterday, Ms Murphy said: “I want to appeal to the two justices, Mr Justice Barry White and Mr Justice John Quirke to adjourn these cases. As a victim of sexual abuse and unlawful carnal knowledge of one of these criminals please, please I beg you don’t let them walk.”

Mr Justice White said he had listened to her views and her call to introduce legislation to “retrospectively legitimise” the law.

But he said: “That is clearly repugnant to the declaration I made at my appointment.”

George Birmingham SC, for the State, said he was not seeking this, but only a brief adjournment until next Wednesday.

He said this was to allow for at least some clarification from the Supreme Court in relation to the State’s appeal and also to allow him to assemble his own submissions.

Colm Smyth SC, for the defendant, objected to such an adjournment, but agreed to a suggestion by Mr Justice White to adjourn the matter until 4pm today, to hear any possible decision from the Supreme Court.