These ‘men of good standing’ who stood by a rapist have damaged their own reputations

THE notion of reputation can be a very strange thing, one that can greatly vary, depending on who you’re applying it to. Traditionally, for a certain type of man, it’s about being an upstanding member of the community and a person of honour, someone that others look up to and possibly go to for their views and their pearls of wisdom.

For women, traditionally, it can mean something quite different. Having a ‘reputation’ is often seen as a negative thing, because that reputation generally means they’re perceived as being ‘fast’ or ‘lose with their favours’. In other words: ‘They get around.’

It all sounds so horribly archaic, doesn’t it? Yet in our courtrooms, and I’m specifically referring to rape trials, the accused is still allowed, probably encouraged by his defence lawyers, to gather up a collection of character references from people of good standing and reputation in their community, who are happy to lobby a judge to try and persuade them to impose as short a jail sentence as possible.

It’s an extraordinary state of affairs and one that is perfectly legal. To be clear, these character references are written after the accused is found guilty.

So these people, generally businessmen or members of local sports club, or in some cases priests and retired gardaí, sit down to compose a letter detailing the positive traits and history of a convicted rapist or sex abuser.

CONOR Quaid, a 26-year-old man from Dingle in Co. Kerry, who was recently found guilty of raping a family friend in her home as she lay sleeping, found eight such people to write letters outlining what a good reputation he had, up to his heinous crime.

A local publican wrote how Quaid was the ‘best employee’ he had in his 25 years of business, while a member of the local GAA club, who has since been promoted to the role of vice-chairman, told the judge, in his letter, that he had no hesitation in saying that Quaid is a person of good character and ‘anything that may have happened in the past’ should be considered part of the full picture.

I wonder how the judge felt at being told how to do their job by a GAA official who works as an auctioneer.

‘I have known the Quaid family for over 20 years and as a consequence, I have known Conor since he was a small boy,’ wrote the GAA club member.

‘I am aware of his recent conviction. He was involved with Dingle GAA club as an underage player and always played as a team player and got on extremely well with all the mentors and teammates and always listened to and took advice,’ wrote the club member.

Quaid must have been out the day they discussed sexual consent. But perhaps the most disquieting reference came from a ‘retired detective sergeant’.

I put it in quotes because that’s how this man described himself in his letter to the court, making it crystal clear that he once held a position of trust and power.

It’s since been established that he was not based in Kerry and did not live in the county.

He explained how he had known Quaid since he was a boy and watched him growing up and that he ‘could not speak highly enough’ of him. He added: ‘Whatever happened on the night in question’ was totally out of character, and said: ‘I will stand by him now and going forward into the future.’

I imagine these men in a dull sepia coloured light, wearing flat cloth caps, which they take off before sitting down to a midday dinner of meat and two veg prepared by silently resentful wives, that’s how antiquated the ideas behind these testimonies are.

And what of the rape victim? How did this young woman, who was brave enough to report her attack and go through a gruelling court case in which her assailant pleaded not guilty, feel at the written words of these men?

We know exactly the effect they had on her because she contacted RTÉ’s Liveline to tell them.

She told how difficult it had been to come forward in a town the size of Dingle, and how it has been a ‘very tough few years’ since she first reported the rape; that when they travelled to the sentencing in Dublin last week, her family had just expected her own victim impact statement and a couple of references from the prison service.

They were ‘upset and appalled’ to learn that two prominent businessmen from the town had lodged ‘glowing references to reduce the sentence of a convicted rapist that shows no remorse’.

She described how she gets panic attacks knowing that people who live so close to her had publicly supported a rapist.

‘I believe, in this day and age, the local big boys club should not be allowed lodge testimonials in court,’ she wrote.

The family were incensed enough to write to Kerry GAA, questioning how one of their members was allowed to provide a character reference for a convicted rapist. Liveline also contacted them for a comment and the Kerry’s Eye newspaper reported the story.

They were told that the organisation had decided, after discussions with the Dingle club, that it had been ‘the individual’s own personal submission’, in other words he wasn’t speaking on behalf of the GAA.

Which is funny, because he was clearly asked to submit a reference because of his involvement with the club. But the most telling line was the next one.

‘The question for the Dingle GAA club and the wider GAA association is, was this testament such that it brings the reputation of the GAA club and the GAA into disrepute and therefore justifies disciplinary charges being brought against that person. It is our clear view that this is not the case.’

But they’re very clearly wrong. Their cherished reputation is now tarnished for not taking a stand to make it clear that such testimonies from members about a convicted felon’s history with their club will no longer be tolerated.

The reputations of all those men who submitted character references are similarly damaged. And men like them need to think twice before ever agreeing to such a practice again.