Strip-search allegations against gardaí after Gaza protest 'entirely inaccurate', garda chief says
People taking part in the Mothers Against Genocide protest outside Leinster House in Dublin on Mothers Day, March 30. The following morning, gardaí arrested some 14 people at the scene of the demonstration. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA
“Grave” allegations made by TDs in the Dáil that gardaí strip-searched women protesting for Gaza are entirely inaccurate Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said.
He has confirmed he is to write to the Ceann Comhairle about the allegations made against Gardaí in the Dáil.
He said he can now categorically state” that “no cavity search took place” and that “no strip search took place”.
"Immediately those allegations were made, we started a preliminary inquiry," Mr Harris said.
Footage from the incident at the front of the Dáil was examined, along with footage within stations of a custody area where one is booked in.
"Searches of individuals are not subject to CCTV coverage but I'm entirely content there's no wrongdoing," Mr Harris said.
"Actually what was done was in line with our procedures.
"There was nothing there for us to investigate," Mr Harris said.
"There is a very clear regulation and guidance about the treatment of prisoners. All of that was complied with."
The allegations were very upsetting and damaging for the female gardaí accused of this grave wrongdoing, justice minister Jim O'Callaghan told the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) annual conference in Killarney.
Some 14 people were arrested at a protest by Mothers Against Genocide at an entrance to Leinster House in Dublin on Monday morning, March 31.
Multiple TDs subsequently stood up in the Dáil criticising gardaí, some saying that a number of women were strip-searched and one was cavity searched.
The protest had been against the Israeli war in Gaza.
“Recently in Dáil Éireann, extremely serious allegations were made about female members of An Garda Siochana who had conducted searches on women who had been arrested under the Public Order Act,” Mr O’Callaghan said at the AGSI conference.
“On foot of those grave allegations, made under parliamentary privilege, I asked the commissioner for an account of what occurred,” he said.
“I asked that bodycam footage and any recordings be examined, particularly recordings from garda stations.
“Having conducted his inquiries, the commissioner reported back to me last week in writing, stating that his inquiries revealed that the allegations made by some members of Dáil Éireann were false.
"Politicians should inform people alleging garda misconduct that the appropriate forum to make such complaints is to go to the statutory agency responsible for those complaints, Fiosru, which is the new body established last week.
“If such a complaint is made, it will be thoroughly investigated and determined.
“But if people won’t avail of that statutory procedure, politicians should not be condemning the gardaí for doing the lawful job that the Oireachtas has asked and authorised you to do."
Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger had said that she personally knew some of the protestors, and that they were simply holding a memorial for those who have been killed in Gaza.
“Some of those women were strip-searched and one was subjected to a cavity search,” she said at the time.
Mothers Against Genocide had said it would file a complaint to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, Gsoc, over the allegations.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett also had said that the protest “descended to the strip-searching” of peaceful female protesters.
“The group Mothers Against Genocide, on a Mother’s Day protest to show solidarity with women and children in Palestine, in Lebanon, and so on, who have been slaughtered over the last 18 months, had a peaceful sit-down protest,” he told the Dáil.
“They are arrested very, very violently in some cases, including Palestinian and Lebanese people who have actually suffered the horrors of the last 18 months, and some then are strip-searched.”
However, Mr O’Callaghan told the AGSI conference that being a garda was a “very challenging job” and that “sometimes you can be subject to unfair or untruthful criticism from the political establishment".
“When it is fair, it should be taken, when it is unfair it shouldn’t be taken,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
“Politicians, in my opinion, should reflect on that before standing up in Dáil Éireann to make very serious allegations about identifiable gardaí.
“I want you to know that, as minister for justice, I will defend the gardaí against any partisan and unfair attacks in Dáil Éireann.
“My message is clear to you in respect of that issue and that is that I trust the management and members of An Garda Síochana to appropriately use your discretion and judgement when keeping the streets of our cities safe.
“I trust in the high standards of training our gardaí are given in adhering to robust regulations and law.
“Most of all, I trust in the dedicated experience of your members as sergeants and as inspectors to guide and supervise them in their important work.”
Ruth Coppinger said that she stood by her comments that women arrested at a Mothers Against Genocide protest outside the Dáil were strip searched and one was cavity searched.
And comments were not made under Dáil privilege as they were also made outside the Dáil, she said.
“All I'll say is I believe women. I don't know what footage the minister viewed. Maybe he should invite some people to some sort of meeting to view this footage.
“Why would women make this information up?
The minister saying that people were "making things up" was "a very dangerous thing", particularly since the "whole issue of gender based violence is such a prevalent one," she said.
TDs had put the allegations to the Taoiseach "because what we have seen is a definitive step towards a more brutalising type of policing of peaceful Palestine solidarity protests."
"We haven't seen this sort of treatment in protests in Ireland recently. The type of thing that you see in Germany, that you see in the US. So it was very important that it was raised."
Ms Coppinger said that she would be happy to view the garda footage.
Mothers Against Genocide had informed gardaí of their protests and there had been no justification for “driving them off to stations and strip searching them,” she said.
“They were obviously a peaceful protest and of no threat to anybody.”
A Mothers Against Genocide statement said it stands over the experiences shared by the people that were arrested.
"Among these, people experienced strip searches, degrading treatment and cavity search. We note the various gardaí accounts appearing in the media. Everyone involved is in the process of receiving legal advice in relation to their complaints, and we are extremely disappointed that the Minister for Justice Jim O Callaghan would make the statements he did without having had any engagement with the people affected.
"Independent complaints processes are there for a reason, and we call on the minister to respect that due process, and allow the people affected the time to receive legal advice and submit their complaints, rather than repeat statements based on another instance of Gardai investigating themselves," it said.
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