Kevin Myers: Casting a cold, coherent eye over events in Listowel
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Tuesday December 22 2009
It is axiomatic that there is no more derogatory group-term in modern English than "middle-aged white males". Thus, almost every single, female columnist writing on the Listowel sex-offence case belaboured the fact that those people who queued up to commiserate with Danny Foley, found guilty on a charge of sexual assault, were mostly middle-aged males. This is modern code for sexual bigots. Being from Kerry, they are also -- obviously -- backward culchies, mullahs and gobdaws.
Let me ask you: if 50 middle-aged women queued up to commiserate with a woman found guilty of a sexual crime, would that be considered proof that they actually approved of sexual crime? Would their age and gender be taken as confirmation that they were unregenerate sexual bigots? Or would their age and their sex be regarded as irrelevant to the issue, and properly so? And how much fire and flame would by now have consumed a male columnist if he had suggested the age and the sex of such female sympathisers fundam- entally diminished the value of their actions?
I don't expect cold, coherent thought on this subject. Indeed, I don't expect cold, coherent thought on almost anything these days: we are in a permanent condition of permanent hysteria on almost every subject. Rational analysis is almost impossible in the righteous condemnation-competition that now shrilly governs the Irish media.
So priest Sean Sheehy, who gave a character-witness for Danny Foley, has now had his retirement ruined, though he merely did what character witnesses always do, and is expected of them: he spoke of the man he knew, not the man with the half-naked woman beside the skip at 2.30am in the morning.
Yes, the character-witness system might be ridiculous, but it is the one we have, for both male accused, and for female. He did not -- as so many women journalists have sneeringly alleged -- make light of the events of the night, or trivialise the crime of sexual assault.
He was asked by Danny Foley's mother to shake her son's hand. He did so. This is what priests do. They minister to sinners, not to the sinless. How could he have rejected Mrs Foley's request?
Did not Jesus on the cross say to His disciple that His Mother was henceforth the disciple's? And did the disciple, who was John, not then take Mary home? Did not Sean Sheehy, in his own way, follow his namesake's example?
And in an act which reflects the earlier events at Gethsemane, the Bishop of Kerry severely criticised the priest for doing his hieratic duty, leading to Fr Sheehy's resignation.
His Grace will have ample time to reflect on the irreversible nature of what he has done. So, too, will the mob, as it wonders savagely and insatiably: who next?
To be sure, the trial court is absolutely the wrong place to offer mass public commiser- ation to a convicted party. The poor girl -- and she clearly is a girl, despite her age -- was understandably devastated to see such a procession of passive hostility towards her.
Thus the courtroom that had convicted Danny Foley was also the forum that then informally declared him innocent. That is morally and procedurally unacceptable, and the presiding judge was clearly taken off-guard by an event which must not be allowed to become a precedent.
I do not intend to go over the trial here. The jury heard the evidence, and the jury reached a conclusion. I will say two things.
One. For Danny Foley to have been put on the sex offenders' register for life is excessive. Even the complainant spoke highly of his conduct generally before the catastrophic evening in question.
Two. This young woman, who has been scorned by some very foolish or very bitter people, must instead be treated with the utmost respect, regard and decency by all in Listowel, and beyond.
That now being the presiding consequence of a calamitous evening, those of us outside Listowel might consider our words well, avoiding stereotypes, and swift, broad-stroke judgments of anyone or any group. It is the easiest thing in the world to reduce a personal tragedy like this into a them-versus-us caricature, and turn a large sector of the people of Listowel into brutal, sexist hillbillies.
No one benefits when wisdom dies. Two decent families are facing two wretched Christmases.
That being the case, is it too unreasonable to ask for reason, balance and understanding from outside commentators, instead of the hate-filled and self-righteous frenzy that once again has been filling the media?
- Kevin Myers
Irish Independent
