Mary Lou McDonald criticises ‘appalling’ treatment of plaintiff

Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald said the treatment of the woman at the heart of the Belfast rape trial was “pretty appalling and unfortunate”.

Mary Lou McDonald criticises ‘appalling’ treatment of plaintiff

Speaking at an Easter Sunday event in Dublin, she said the whole system of legal protections for complainants “needs to be fixed”.

“You are left with a completely unsatisfactory situation where the person raising the complaint has very limited, in this jurisdiction, access to legal advice and an ability to cross-examine and virtually none in the North. That needs to be fixed,” she said.

Already a subscriber? Sign in

You have reached your article limit.

Unlimited access. Half the price.

Annual €120 €60

Best value

Monthly €10€5 / month

More in this section

Lunchtime News

Newsletter

Keep up with stories of the day with our lunchtime news wrap and important breaking news alerts.

Cookie Policy Privacy Policy Brand Safety FAQ Help Contact Us Terms and Conditions

© Examiner Echo Group Limited