Victim’s father criticises ‘disgraceful’ impact statement process

A MAN whose 19-year-old daughter was murdered last year has criticised the Victim Impact Statement process as “disgraceful” and said there was too much consideration for the perpetrators of violent crime.

Peter Keaney, whose daughter Sheola was murdered in Cobh in July of 2006 by ex-boyfriend Thomas Kennedy, spoke yesterday of his shock in court when he realised the Victim Impact Statement he’d prepared would be vetted beforehand by the accused.

“The guy who killed Sheola gets to see your statement and, if they’re not happy with that, they can ask you to change it,” he recalled.

Kennedy pleaded guilty last December to the murder of Sheola Keaney, and received a life sentence from Justice Paul Carney.

Mr Keaney was speaking after Wednesday’s comments made by Justice Carney about the statement delivered in court by Majella Holohan after her son’s killer Wayne O’Donoghue was convicted of manslaughter.

Mr Keaney said he understood Majella Holohan’s frustration with the process, and her anger, but feared her unscripted comment about semen being found on 11-year-old Robert Holohan’s body could undermine the whole system.

“That wasn’t in her impact statement so she was introducing new evidence in her case. He [the judge] had to stop her there and then, or otherwise he wouldn’t have been doing his job properly.

“I felt, in my heart and soul, that if she hadn’t gone off like that the man might have got a longer sentence,” he said.

He said he was afraid the Department of Justice “could have said they’re not doing Victim Impact Statements any more”.

Asked what he thought about the victim impact system, Mr Keaney said it was a “disgraceful” process, particularly when the statements had to be shown to the defence.

However, he also said it was important that victims or victims’ families be given a chance to express their feelings.

“It’s part of the healing process and it’s the last voice you can give your child in this world. You’re speaking to the judge, personally, about your child, you’re just telling him what effect it’s had on your life since your daughter died.”