On 9th July, my brother, Gerald Henry, was found guilty of habitually sexually abusing me when I was a child. After I read my Victim Impact Statement to the Court, my most private thoughts about how the abuse has affected my life and still does, 2 character references were handed in supportive of my convicted sex offender brother. One was from his wife, who works as a Nurse in University Hospital Kerry and the other was from his father in law, who retired as a secondary school Principal from Coláiste Gleann Lí in 2022. It's shocking that a Nurse and an ex Secondary School Principal would provide a character reference for a convicted sex offender. Nurses and School Principals are mandated reporters under the Children First Act 2015 and providing character references for a convicted sex offender calls into question their ability to comply with the provisions of the Children First Act 2015. 

These character references being read into the court record after I had given my Victim Impact Statement meant that the Trial therefore ended not on my words but on kind words about my brother, which made my words on the stand sound like lies.  

My brother pleaded not guilty and he maintains that plea. He also doesn't accept the verdict and has expressed no remorse or regret. He was given a fully suspended sentence and placed on the Sex Offenders Register.  

As of 18th July 2024, legislation has been passed requiring those providing a character reference be sworn in, sit in the witness box to read out their character reference and be cross examined on the contents but this will not apply to offenders found guilty before 18th July 2024.

The next step should be to end the facilitation of character references for convicted sex offenders altogether. 

Ultimately, character references for convicted sex offenders should never be allowed as they are full of irrelevant information (the character of a 43 year old is not relevant to the character of the teenager who abused me) and they are generally provided by someone who hasn't been victimised by the offender. Character references are also incredibly retraumatising for victims/survivors. 

It is so hurtful to victims to hear people singing the praises of your abuser and, it is even more hurtful to hear the Judge reference the contents of those letters and refer to them as mitigating circumstances in her Judgment.

This needs to stop now. 

The next step is putting pressure on the government to end this practice altogether. Character references have no place in these matters and they are an insult to victims.

It is a disgrace that this has not been prioritised and the wait needs to end NOW.