Senator gets abusive calls after Norris ‘no’

SENATOR and children’s rights activist Jillian van Turnhout received abusive and racist phone messages and emails after deciding not to back David Norris’s bid for the Áras.

Ms van Turnhout yesterday told how overnight she had received disturbing comments from anonymous callers who even accused her of being homophobic for not backing Mr Norris.

Mr Norris, who is making a last-ditch effort to be nominated, rang her yesterday with consoling words after hearing about the barrage of offensive messages.

The Dublin-born woman described how she had been targeted by individuals who wrongly assumed because of her surname that she was not Irish.

“It’s from people who don’t know me and don’t know about my work on children’s rights and supporting equality issues and don’t know that I’m Irish.

“In my work over the years, I never got abuse. It’s the barrage of stuff coming through and it’s just hugely emotional.”

The 43-year-old, who campaigned as head of the Children’s Rights Alliance in recent years, was appointed a senator by Taoiseach Enda Kenny earlier this year.

She revealed in July that she would not endorse Senator Norris’s bid, a decision she reiterated online last week.

But with Mr Norris in recent days sweeping up TDs’ and senators’ support in a final effort to enter the race, pressure has grown on Oireachtas members to make up the numbers for his bid.

“There are troubled souls out there,” she said.

“But it was the intensity of it [the calls] that disturbed me. I’m not worried, just worn down and tired. I have no difficulty in people asking me to reconsider.”

She said the comments left from blocked numbers were “racist” and accused her of being homophobic. She described the overnight verbal attack on radio yesterday.

“David [Norris] rang me after my interview and we had a very friendly conversation. I knew there was no way he would support something like this. It’s childish but abusive. It’s not threatening but very personal kind of stuff.”