Ex-garda: ‘They no longer have a hold over me. Today, I’m free’

A former garda, who was threatened with dismissal from the force after becoming pregnant with a fellow garda recruit in the 1980s, attempted to take her own life five times following her ordeal. Majella Moynihan, who was born in Kanturk, Co Cork, spent time in St John of God’s psychiatric hospital after placing the child she had with another young garda up for adoption in 1984.

Ms Moynihan, who left the force in 1998 on a half-pension, believes she might not have been subjected to such a rigorous investigation by An Garda Síochána if she had not been in a vulnerable position at the time.