Irish Examiner view: Time to reconsider court testimonials

Vera O'Leary of the Kerry Rape Crisis Centre has offered awareness training to the GAA.

It is a sign of how little progress has been made in the understanding of sexual violence that the director of the Kerry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre, Vera O’Leary, has had to offer awareness training to the GAA after glowing testimonials were submitted at the sentencing hearing of a 26-year-old man convicted of rape last year.

In one, the vice-chair of Dingle GAA John Diony O’Connor spoke highly of Conor Quaid, of Monaree, Dingle, Co Kerry, who was sentenced to eight years with 18 months suspended last week for raping a woman while she slept. The judge noted that he had shown no remorse.