‘Taoiseach really wanted to know my story’

Rape victim Fiona Doyle said she hopes the political establishment will act on minimum sentencing for sex crimes after the Taoiseach looked her “in the eye” and listened to her story.

Ms Doyle and four of her children held an “emotional” one-hour meeting with Enda Kenny in Government Buildings last night where she asked for minimum sentencing, younger judges, and training to “sensitise” judges as to the experiences of rape victims.

“There were a good few notes being taken and I hope that something will be done,” she said, adding that Mr Kenny had not given any commitments on the specific issues raised.

But Ms Doyle praised him for taking the time to listen. “He actually really wanted to know my story and he wanted to know some of the details and wanted to know about the court process. It was a bit emotional. I had to stop a few times.”

The meeting took place one week after Ms Doyle’s father, Patrick O’Brien, aged 72, of Old Court Avenue, Bray, Co Wicklow, was jailed for three years for raping his daughter.

Last Thursday, Mr Justice Paul Carney revoked the decision made four days earlier to grant Mr O’Brien bail, saying it was “inappropriate and insensitive”. The judge expressed “profound regret” for the distress caused to Ms Doyle and her family.

Last night she said the court battle had been worth it: “I’d like to encourage women now not to look at my case and back off. Come forward. Because it does make a difference and is all part of the healing process.”

Mr Kenny, who was not accompanied by any staff during the meeting, also listened to the views of Ms Doyle’s four children: Kristel, 26, Patrick, 24, Lewis, 22, and Diasún, 17.

The meeting was informal and Ms Doyle said she did not feel rushed. “He sat down and took his time with me,” she said. He “looked me in the eye and I have to admire that and I’m glad he did”.

She said it was important to raise the issue of minimum sentencing: “I felt the sentence my dad got made me feel I wasn’t worth anything, my story wasn’t worth anything, what happened me wasn’t worth anything because of the sentence he got.

“I just explained that to him, hopefully it will make a difference.”

A Government spokesman said last night that Justice Minister Alan Shatter had appointed a working group to carry out a strategic review of penal policy, including sentencing policy.

“Fiona’s views on the issue will of course be passed on to the minister by the Taoiseach following this evening’s meeting and will be taken into account in the context of that review,” he said.

Ms Doyle says she hopes that any action that follows takes into account the views of victims. “All we can do now is wait and see,” she said.