Gardaí examine hate messages sent to Cork lecturer

Dr Amanullah de Sondy said online abuse was 'getting worse'

UCC lecturer Dr Amanullah De Sondy was the subject of further online abuse by a known right-wing activist following an address he gave at an integration conference last Monday. Picture: Dan Linehan

Gardaí are conducting inquiries in relation to a hate message directed at Cork academic Amanullah De Sondy.

It comes after the UCC lecturer was the subject of further online abuse by a known right-wing activist following an address he gave at an integration conference last Monday.

While gardaí are aware of this video, it is understood the subject of their enquiries relates to a specific message, containing Islamophobic remarks, previously sent to Dr De Sondy.

In a statement to the Irish Examiner, Garda HQ said: “I refer to your enquiry and am to advise that Gardaí in Anglesea Street are conducting enquiries in relation to this matter.” 

The statement also said: “An Garda Síochána encourage any persons who may be or has been a victim of a hate crime to report it to their local Garda Station, where it will be fully investigated.” 

Dr De Sondy, head of religions at UCC, said the abuse he has been receiving for a while has been “getting worse”.

He welcomed the Garda statement and said he had been assisting gardaí in relation to their investigation.

“My main aim in this is to make sure that no one else has to go through what I have been going through,” said Dr De Sondy.

There has to be a deterrent for these people. We need to make the racists fear as much as me and others are made feel afraid. 

"We shouldn’t be afraid – it should be the racists that should be afraid.” 

He added: “For me, it is about making sure this stops happening and I am working with the law and the gardaí the best way I can.” 

He said the gardaí have been helpful, but added he had people contacting him saying they didn’t get the same response.

He said there was not enough talk about the level of Islamophobia in society.

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has repeatedly stressed the priority he places on the investigation of hate crime.

In October 2019, he published a three year Diversity and Integration Strategy, which included a working definition of hate crime and training for members.

Last December, Justice Minister Helen McEntee announced her intention to bring forward new legislation to combat incitement to hatred and hate crime this year.

It followed a public consultation, together with research conducted by the department of similar laws introduced abroad.

Ms McEntee said she planned to bring the Heads of a Bill to Cabinet by Easter.

It is expected the new hate crime offences will be aggravated versions of existing crimes, such as assault and criminal damage.

It is envisaged that where the jury finds the crime was a hate crime based on the evidence, and convicts the person of a hate crime, an additional penalty for the new offence will available to the judge at sentencing.

Recent Garda figures show that recorded incidents of hate crime rose from 115 in 2014 to 290 in 2016, increasing further, to 339, in 2018, dropping to 251 in 2019.

Gardaí said this crime was considered as “potentially underreported”.