Minister McEntee working to progress changes to legislation
THE MINISTER FOR Justice, Helen McEntee, has committed to addressing the main issues of concern arising out of the interpretation of Section 252 of the Children Act 2001 by the Court of Appeal.
Concerns were raised with this newspaper by a rape victim who was prevented from having her own identity revealed at the sentence hearing that saw her attacker jailed for eleven years.
While the court allowed her attacker’s identity be revealed, the victim was prevented from having her name revealed because she was a child at the time the offence was committed and the law currently prohibits the identification of a child victim of a crime, even if as an adult the person wishes to have their identity known.
When asked for a response to the victim’s concerns, the Department of Justice issued a statement on behalf of Minister McEntee in which it was highlighted that three main issues arose from the Court of Appeal interpretation of Section 252 of the Children Act 2001. These were: ‘the lifting of restrictions on naming a person who is accused or convicted of the unlawful killing of a child; the matter of allowing parents in such a case to speak publicly about the impact on them; and any wider implications, for example instances where adults who were sexually abused as children wish to speak publicly about what happened to them.’
The statement from the department also highlighted that Minister McEntee ‘has expressed her willingness to work with colleagues across both Houses to progress the necessary legislative changes to address these issues and has tasked her officials with presenting options to do so in the most appropriate and expeditious way.’
‘Consideration will also have to be given to any changes to ensure they do not result in unintended consequences and are consistent with the key principle of the best interests of the child,’ said the department.