Dianne Willmore, who passed from mesothelioma in 2009, won a landmark £240,000 case, holding Knowsley Borough Council liable for her asbestos exposure during school. Her case prompted legal and financial ramifications for local authorities nationwide, leading to increased awareness and changes in asbestos-related negligence proceedings.
Shane Flynn, 35, owner of a Mullingar clinic, was convicted of sexual assault after inappropriately touching a client seeking back pain relief. The investigation also revealed 18 hours of footage showing Flynn secretly filming 35 women during massages, raising further concerns about his conduct and abuse of trust within his practice.
Naveed Rana, a Dublin taxi driver, was sentenced to five and a half years for the assault of an 18-year-old woman after a night out. The court heard how Rana took advantage of the victim’s trust, driving erratically and assaulting her before being apprehended due to her quick actions in reporting the incident to Gardaí.
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The right to anonymity in sex offence cases in IrelandThere are variations between UK anonymity laws and those in Ireland as has been highlighted by trials of various TV soap stars in the UK for sex offences. In Ireland, laws prohibit the identification of the rape accused prior to conviction.
Within Irish law, those accused of rape can only be publicly identified if convicted and furthermore if the victim waives his/her right to anonymity and the trial judge allows the accused’s identity to be made known.
Further to analysis of data ranging from 2011 onwards, figures show that 59% of those convicted of sex crimes within the Central Criminal Court are not named in the media post-conviction.
A victim may feel that it should be a personal decision as to whether the accused and convicted has their identity made known to the public, rather than having the decision be left in the hands of a judge.
Other than rape, incest and defilement, sex crimes do not carry automatic pre-conviction anonymity. This creates a situation whereby a violent sexual assault will allow for the identity of the accused to be disclosed, whereas an accused rapist may retain his/her anonymity.
Anonymity in some cases may be retained moreover to protect the identity of the victim as opposed to the convicted.
An examination of UK law has indicated that some victims prefer for the identity of the accused to be made known, as this may lead to further victims coming forward.
Shane Flynn, 35, owner of a Mullingar clinic, was convicted of sexual assault after inappropriately touching a client seeking back pain relief. The investigation also revealed 18 hours of footage showing Flynn secretly filming 35 women during massages, raising further concerns about his conduct and abuse of trust within his practice.
Naveed Rana, a Dublin taxi driver, was sentenced to five and a half years for the assault of an 18-year-old woman after a night out. The court heard how Rana took advantage of the victim’s trust, driving erratically and assaulting her before being apprehended due to her quick actions in reporting the incident to Gardaí.
Pat Murphy, a 34-year-old father, died after a ruptured artery went undiagnosed at Cork University Hospital. Despite suffering severe chest pains, he faced a nine-hour wait for a CT scan, delayed further by a malfunctioning machine. His family claims this delay contributed to his tragic death.
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