‘Court poor box should benefit local victims’

Money collected in court poor boxes should benefit local victims of crime, the director of the Kerry Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre has said, as it emerged that the service only got €200 from Kerry offenders last year.

Director Vera O’Leary warned the centre’s services may have to be cut and waiting lists will increase as it struggles to bring in enough money to cover its operating costs.

Ms O’Leary was speaking out after figures revealed that local charities received less than €50,000, while the bulk of money from the court poor box in Kerry — €480,000 — went to overseas aid organisations.

Ms O’Leary said she felt very strongly that the system be reformed to benefit local organisations and support agencies for victims of crime.

She said was very grateful for the €200 contribution assigned to her organisation by Judge James O’Connor this year,. However, the contribution was very little compared with the amounts being sent out of the county — for example, Sightsavers International and Christian Blind Missions were allocated €120,000 between them.

Ms O’Leary felt the lack of facilities and consultation rooms for victims of crime in Kerry, particularly in Tralee court, was something which needed to be addressed urgently, and money from the court poor box could be used for this.

She also said that the assignment of money should not be at the discretion of an individual judge, but should be overseen by an advisory committee as recommended in 2005 by the law reform commission.

The Courts Service said the practice of the court poor box pre-dates the State and the assignment of money is at the discretion of the district judge. “It can sometimes be a more meaningful punishment than the maximum fine where the value of a maximum fine may have been eroded by inflation,” a spokesman said.