asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware of considerable concern at recent statements attributed to him on the question of rape; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Rape Statements.
15.
The question obviously relates to two newspaper articles in which something I had said in the course of a radio interview was grossly misrepresented and specific words were attributed to me which I had not used. The Deputy will appreciate that I can accept responsibility only for what I said and not for what I am wrongly alleged to have said.
What happened on the radio programme was that, in the course of an interview about the Garda Crime Report, the interviewer brought up the question of public concern about rape and posed the question whether there ought to be more severe penalties for this crime. I pointed out that the law already allowed the courts to impose life imprisonment and I then went on to refer to the need for young girls to take care in certain circumstances and particularly in the matter of whom they accepted lifts from when going home from dances or parties. I made it clear that I was referring to some rapes and, even in those cases, what I said was that perhaps they would not have taken place if the girls concerned had been more careful.
Caution in accepting lifts from strangers especially late at night is a matter of common sense about which I believe there would be general agreement. However, two women journalists, on separate occasions, accused me of saying that girls who are raped are asking for it. I was also accused by one of the journalists of implying that girls must not dress attractively or perhaps even walk along the street at night. I was accused of making excuses for the rapists. I was not just accused in general terms of saying these things. Specific words—placed within quotation marks—were attributed to me by both of these journalists.
Despite the fact that I have already publicly stated that the two newspaper articles were totally inaccurate in reporting my comments, I regret to say that neither of the journalists has seen fit to correct the misstatements made, let alone offer any apology. It so happens that I have an accurate record of what I said in the course of the radio interview and I am having a copy of it placed in the Library of the House.
I take it that in the circumstances of the Minister's reply in no way would the views attributed to him be the views he would express publicly?
Quite definitely.
In the situation is the Minister of the opinion that he was totally misquoted by these journalists?
I think I have spelled that out clearly for the Deputy in my reply.
Following that——
The Deputy should not rise and ask a number of questions without waiting for the replies to those he has asked.
I have the replies, a Cheann Comhairle. There is one other question I want to ask which relates to the same matter. In view of the Minister's response, can I take it that he will now be issuing a formal response to the proposals submitted to him recently by the Council for the Status of Women?
The Deputy knows full well that that is a separate question, one I will gladly answer for him if he will table a question.
I take the opportunity now.
The Deputy will have to table a separate question and I will be prepared to answer it.
Question No. 16.
Arising out of Question No. 15——
We have passed on to Question No. 16.
May I ask one question in clarification? Have we left No. 15?
I will allow one supplementary question.
Accepting the Minister's statement here today, would he go further and make clear in addition to that statement that, no matter what the circumstances are, it does not in any way mitigate the crime of rape and that his statement does not in any way suggest that accepting a lift or a drive late at night is in any way contributing towards the crime?
I accept that.
By making the statement at all the Minister might be open to the charge of suggesting that the girls were in some way contributing to the crime themselves.
Arising from what Deputy Mrs. Desmond has said, I cannot comment on the motivation of people who write of such things when they know full well they are completely wrong and untrue.