Lack of information ‘caused community to out rapist’

A TD fighting for parents to have the right to know if a sex offender is in their area has warned that a “lack of information” from authorities caused a community to “out” a convicted rapist living in their midst.

Independent TD Denis Naughten made the claim after residents in Dublin City’s East Wall area put up posters in recent days warning women that 31-year-old Barry McGee is collecting his dole in the location.

Mr McGee, from Foxfield Grove in Raheny, north Dublin, was convicted in 2002 of raping two Australian women in their home at knife-point.

The Central Criminal Court heard that during the May 5, 2002, four-hour assault in an apartment in Rathmines — described by Detective Sergeant George McGeary as among the most gruesome cases he has investigated — Mr McGee repeatedly threatened the two then 25-year-old victims’ lives.

After pleading guilty to three counts each of rape and oral rape, one of attempted rape, two of aggravated sexual assault, two of threatening to kill and two of false imprisonment, Mr McGee was sentenced to 17 years in jail.

He was released after serving 12 years, and has since been living in Dorset Street and collecting his dole money in East Wall on Fridays.

Despite serving his sentence, in recent days posters have begun to appear in the inner city community warning women about Mr McGee’s past.

Speaking on Newstalk radio yesterday morning, Independent TD Denis Naughten — who is campaigning for communities to be allowed to know if a sex offender is living nearby — said he did not condone the decision to put posters in the area.

However, the Roscommon-South Leitrim representative said such actions are only taking place because of “fear” caused by “a lack of information” from the authorities.

“I wouldn’t condone that type of action [the posters] at all, but a lot of it is built on fear and the lack of information given to communities.

“It’s nearly impossible for an Garda Síochána to enforce the sex offenders’ register at the moment,” he said.

Under plans suggested by Mr Naughten, families should be able to request “relevant and appropriate” information about someone on the sex offenders register whom they are concerned about in order to reduce the risk of a repeat of the incidents, or wrongly targeted vigilantism in the community.

The proposal is similar to Megan’s Law in the US, which in some states include websites that list the general locations of where each individual lives.