Minister not the first to offend victims' groups
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WILLIE O'DEA isn't the first politician to find himself in hot water with victims' groups over prisoner representations.
Labour TD Kathleen Lynch was forced to apologise to the victims of double rapist Trevor Casey earlier this year when it emerged she had written a character letter for his trial.
The Cork TD wrote a letter testifying to the good character of Mr Casey's parents which was handed to the trial judge.
She later accepted it was inappropriate for a TD to get involved in a case of such seriousness.
Last year, junior minister Tony Killeen caused controversy when it emerged representations were made from his constituency office seeking the early releases of child rapist Joseph Nugent and murderer Chris Cooney.
The Clare Fianna Fail TD weathered a storm of criticism and refused to resign.
However, in 2002, another junior minister, Bobby Molloy of the PDs, was forced to resign after interfering in the case of rapist Patrick Naughton.
Someone representing Mr Molloy, a TD for Galway West, tried to phone a judge in his chambers in order to clarify whether he had received a number of letters from Naughton's sister Anne. The judge told a court the intervention had been "quite improper" and Mr Molloy resigned the following day.
- Shane Phelan
