Cullen: Media intrusion felt like ‘being raped’

ARTS Minister Martin Cullen said he felt like he was “being raped” by the media intrusion into his life over unfounded allegations that he had an affair with his former PR consultant, Monica Leech.

Mr Cullen yesterday described how the allegations had a devastating impact on himself, his family and Ms Leech.

“The only way I can describe it to you is that… it was like waking up every day and being raped as a man – and that is how I felt and I use those words very carefully. But that was actually how I felt,” he said.

“And as it progressed I said to myself one night: ‘Actually, I don’t feel like that. I actually go to bed every night knowing that I’m going to be raped the following day.’”

Mr Cullen told how his children had to move schools several times because of bullying. He said his daughter had been humiliated by one of her teachers. His sons attempted to “defend their father’s honour” but “got the living daylights beaten out of them”.

Mr Cullen stressed that he was not seeking sympathy by making the remarks. He said he was attempting to demonstrate the effects that unwarranted media intrusion could have on people.

He said the media had a responsibility to report accurately and guard against invasion of privacy.

Politicians and the Church had lost much of their credibility with the public, he said. “The only pillar that’s left in terms of communicating with the Irish people is the media, and I think in that sense, then, the media have... a grave, grave responsibility to act in a way that at least presents a story in a factual way.”

Mr Cullen was speaking at a seminar on the Defamation Act.