Gardaí say false sex assault claim and disinformation on social media ‘spread fear of foreigners’

Gardaí have echoed Judge Eugene O’Kelly's comments in Waterford Circuit Court when he said the case had 'fuelled racial division' and 'planted hatred in the community', causing 'alarm and upset'.

Gardaí said that a false complaint of sexual assault — of which a woman was convicted recently in Waterford — spread “fear and concern” in the community and “dangerous” slurs about asylum seekers and foreign people.

Gardaí also said that the allegation made by Dungarvan woman Tanya Wall created a “campaign of fake news” and that the case “diverted and wasted” garda resources and time from other community policing tasks.