Gardai contact Nepalese over leading poet's sex with boys
Poet Cathal O Searcaigh with a friend in Nepal. O Searchaigh?s activities in Kathmandu are the subject of a controversial documentary by filmmaker Neasa Ni Chianain
Gardai have been in contact with the authorities in Nepal over a controversial documentary made there about the Irish language poet Cathal O Searcaigh and his sexual relationships with teenage males.
A furore erupted yesterday after it emerged that the acclaimed poet, whose work is Leaving and Junior Cert course material, had been having sex with teenagers as young as 16 whom he was also supporting financially in educational and work projects.
The documentary, 'Fairytale of Kathmandu', which is to be screened on February 18 and 21 during the Dublin International Film Festival and on RTE One on March 13, makes no allegation of illegal activity by O Searcaigh in Nepal, where the age of consent is 16.
In a strongly worded statement, O Searcaigh has vehemently denied any wrong-doing and claims he has been manipulated and exploited by the film's director, Neasa Ni Chianain.
Last night gardai confirmed that they had made contact with the Nepalese authorities after the matter had been referred to them by the HSE.
Under Section 2 of the 1996 Sexual Offences Act, gardai can investigate allegations of an offence committed by an Irish resident while abroad.
But the Irish Independent has learned that no further garda action has been taken in this case because to date no formal complaint has been made by any alleged teenage victim of sexual abuse in Nepal.
"We can confirm that we have been in contact with the authorities in Nepal. It is still an ongoing operational matter so it is inappropriate to comment any further," said a garda spokesperson.
Friendship
Last night the poet accused the director of the film, Neasa Ni Chianain, of feigning friendship with him in order to further her own commercial interests.
"I am a gay man and I have never made any secret of that. I am openly gay both in Ireland and Nepal. The veiled suggestion that I exploited young men for my own sexual gratification is not true," he said.
But Fiona Neary, Director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland, said it was important that the Irish public see the film so they could "more fully understand the kind of sexual exploitation perpetrated by the Irish abroad".
"You sit there knowing, this is not right." She said Mr O Searcaigh clearly saw himself as a benefactor of the young men. "He does not really acknowledge that his desire for sex is being met as well," she said.
Allegations
Fine Gael's education spokesman Brian Hayes said that if it emerged that there was any truth to the allegations, "the minister should think strongly about removing the poet's work from the curriculum".
One young male says he was asked to leave the poet's room "because he could not complete the sex" while another said he asked O Searcaigh "what is sex?" after spending the night with him.
When confronted by Ms Ni Chianain, the poet freely admitted he had sex with some of the boys. "But I wasn't coercing them into having sex . . . I mean that door was open all the time," he said.
Ms Ni Chianain yesterday staunchly defended the documentary and denied that she had "stitched up" the poet, her former friend, insisting that what came to light in the course of making the documentary had come as a shock to her.
"The issues raised here are the misuse of power and the sexual exploitation of vulnerable people in poor countries. Cathal sets himself up as a benefactor to students in Nepal, helping them with their education, but somewhere along the line the boundaries get blurred," she said.
Yesterday, the poet was joined in Ireland by his adoptive son Prem, a Nepalese man whom he befriended as a teenager 10 or 12 years ago and who is now married with a young family and running a business he helped set up.
- Grainne Cunningham and Anita Guidera
