BRIGHT START TO HER CAREER... BUT NOW FACING FOUR INTERNAL PROBES
1991
Catherine McGowan becomes a member of An Garda Síochána
1993
Assigned to Shankill Garda Station in south Dublin
1994
Attached to the Detective Unit
1999
Transferred to Bray Garda Station in Co. Wicklow. She receives a commendation for taking a loaded shotgun off a man who had just fired a shot in his bedroom.
2007
Detective McGowan is assigned to take over the investigation of complaints of alleged sexual abuse made by a woman against a named priest. Charges are not pursued. Subsequently the alleged victim makes a complaint about Det McGowan’s investigation.
2009
The Murphy Report of the Commission of Investigation into the sexual abuse scandal in the archdiocese of Dublin is published. The commission identifies 320 people who had complained of sexual abuse between 1975 and 2004, and notes that 130 complaints had been made since May 2004. Certain cases are re-examined, including Det McGowan’s 2007 investigation.
2010
Det McGowan investigates a case which leads to 88 charges against a man for the sexual abuse and rape of his stepdaughter. He is sentenced to ten years.
2011
She is served papers by a superior officer which say she is to be investigated for an allegation of not investigating the 2007 sexual abuse case. This is initially an internal inquiry.
2012
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan orders a Garda Professional Standards Unit investigation at Bray Garda Station. The GPSU conducts an audit into the management of files at Bray.
2012
Det McGowan is suspended on 75% pay. That same week her mother is diagnosed with ovarian cancer.
2012
GPSU report shows the many systemic failures that occurred at Bray station. The damning report says there are management failings. It says: ‘There is significant scope for improvement in the supervision by first and second line management’ and that ‘there is no system in place to provide for the regular review of progress on incidents under investigation’.
2013
Four sworn inquiries are commenced in Bray and all are directed at Det McGowan – no other garda is investigated.
2013
Det McGowan is arrested and taken to Irishtown Garda Station in Dublin and charged with a criminal offence under the Criminal Justice Act 2001.
2015
She is brought before the Circuit Court and a jury unanimously finds her not guilty on all counts. Yet, Det McGowan remains suspended and an internal disciplinary board is reactivated. There has also been a Criminal Assets Bureau investigation into Det McGowan. There are four separate internal inquiries.
2018
Det McGowan pursues a judicial review to stop the internal inquiries.