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Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- General
- Irish Daily Mirror
Man who sexually assaulted five women at Irish pilgrimage site jailed
A worker at the Lough Derg pilgrimage site who duped unsuspecting women into helping him at the retreat so he could sexually assault them has been jailed for a total of four years. Cunning Tomas Gallagher preyed on five female victims by asking them to help him repair washing machines and tumble dryers during a series of terrifying incidents at the renowned religious setting. But instead of helping the workman, the innocent women found themselves being sexually assaulted after the 42-year-old preyed on the unsuspecting women. Details of the plans hatched by Gallagher were outlined before Letterkenny Circuit Court last week. Gallagher had pleaded guilty to seven charges in all, four for sexual assaults of adults, two for sexual assault on children and one charge of invitation to a child to sexually touch. And today, having considered reports on Gallagher as well as the statements from his victims, Judge John Aylmer jailed the father-of-one for five years with the last 12 months suspended. He said the crimes, as outlined in the case, were "egregious acts of violence in a sacred place of pilgrimage." He told Gallagher that his crimes were 'deceitful' and 'premeditated' and that he placed them in the mid-range for such offences and which merited a sentence of seven years before mitigation. In mitigation he noted an early plea, the fact that the accused had no previous convictions, that he appeared to be remorseful and ashamed of his actions. Judge Aylmer also noted that Gallagher had undertaken 24 counselling sessions, that he was fully cooperative and that he had been ostracised in the local community. Taking the totality factor into account and that all sentences will run concurrently, Judge Aylmer said he was reducing the overall sentence to one of five years. He then added that with regard to all efforts to encourage rehabilitation and the fact that it needs to be encouraged, he suspended the final 12 months of that sentence meaning Gallagher will serve four years in prison. He is also to go under the supervision of the Probation Services for 12 months. Gallagher, from Rathanlacky, Dunkineely pleaded to a total of seven charges against five different women at the holy island on the shores of Lough Derg. He pleaded to six charges of sexual assault at St Patrick's Purgatory. These offences are contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001. He also pleaded that in the same period and location, he did attempt, by inviting, inducing, counselling or inciting a child to sexual touching. This offence is contrary to Section 4 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017. The victims, who cannot be named to protect their identity, ranged in age from their early teens to more mature women in their later years. All of the offences took place in 2022, when Gallagher worked both as a maintenance man at the retreat, as well as driving a boat taking pilgrims to and from the island. Barrister for the state, Ms Fiona Crawford, BL and investigating Garda Joanna Doherty outlined the details of the incidents. Statements given to Gardai by the victims told how Gallagher had approached them, asking them to come into a laundry room as he needed help fixing various machines. The statements outlined how the unsuspecting women were asked to reach behind them into the machines while Gallagher fixed a "pipe." The women thought they were holding a pipe but instead they were gripping the accused man's penis. On one occasion, Gallagher told one of his victims to twist the pipe like she was "revving a motorcycle." Gallagher told another victim that the "pipe" would be soft and moist. An older victim was approached by Gallagher, who asked her to reach behind a dishwasher and hold a pipe but she "knew immediately it was no pipe" as it was warm and soft and felt like a penis. The woman couldn't see it but the shocked woman jumped back and shouted "what the f*** is that?" The woman didn't tell anybody else about the incident that day but felt upset and did later tell her daughter about what had happened. On another occasion, Gallagher asked a young teenage girl to help him with a washing machine and asked her to hold a "pipe". She grabbed the "pipe" and he told her to "hold it there" as he chatted to her about school. However, the girl told how the pipe didn't feel like plastic but was warm and had a rubbery texture and that it felt sticky or sweaty. Another teenager told in her statement how Gallagher asked him to assist her with a tumble dryer and told her to put her hand behind a wooden board and he got her to hold something. He told the girl to hold the "pipe" harder and then to loosen it and then to increase her grip before he said "yeah, that's fine." The young woman then said the pipe was "squishy, wet and warm" and when she stood up she saw Gallagher's penis sticking out from the zipper of his trousers. One young woman eventually came forward and told a person in charge what had happened which led to others coming forward making complaints of a similar nature against Gallagher. Gallagher was interviewed by Gardai on three occasions and initially denied anything untoward had happened. During one interview with Detective Garda Paul McHugh, Gallagher admitted asking one woman to hold a pipe on a tumble dryer as it had been leaking. He claimed the woman had got up and left for no apparent reason and he had been left nervous and embarrassed by the incident. However, he later admitted the offences and entered a guilty plea. Victim impact statements from the women were read out in court while two young women chose to read out their own statements. One young woman fought back tears as she told how despite being the victim she felt ashamed and disgusted by what had happened and often thinks about if she could have stopped this from happening to other women. She added that she often thinks about Gallagher's son and that she prays that he is safe. An older victim said she feels vulnerable and intimidated by what had happened and that she is sorry that she did not speak up sooner but was afraid that people would laugh at her or not believe her. Another victim told how she was a student but failed her exams because she became depressed after Gallagher's assault on her. However, she later completed her exams and was proud of herself and was determined not to allow her attacker to ruin her life further but still feels he stole something from her. A teenage victim said she has been forced to attend counselling because of anxiety and that she is now always on edge and simply cannot trust men. She decided not to come to court as she feared that seeing Gallagher again would trigger her anxiety. Another woman, who now lives abroad and gave her evidence by videolink, told how she lives in an apartment with a lift and if a man gets into the lift she can't stop thinking "what if?" She said she realises that she should not tar all men with the same brush but Gallagher's attack had made her an angrier, wearier and a meaner person as a result. She added that she does feel disgusted by what had happened but sometimes feels glad that he had chosen her and that she had alerted the authorities to what was happening as she hated to think what number of victims there might have been. Gallagher took to the witness stand and said he wanted to apologise to his victims. He said he "truly regretted" his actions and was sorry for the hurt and pain he had caused his victims and their families. Asked by his barrister, Mr Colm Smyth, SC, if he realised this was a huge breach of trust, Gallagher replied that he did. He also revealed that he had engaged in 24 counselling sessions to better understand the impact his actions have had on others. Mr Smyth said his client accepted full responsibility for his actions, that he had now lost his employment and had become a pariah in the local community because of the publicity surrounding the case. He added the fact that the offences took place in a sacred place, a place of pilgrimage for Christian people going back many centuries, also had to be acknowledged. Mr Smyth suggested to Judge John Aylmer that there also has to be "light at the end of the tunnel" for Gallagher, asking him to consider his client's remorse, his blameless life up until now and his guilty plea.
Sunday World
6 days ago
- General
- Sunday World
Lough Derg pilgrimage site worker jailed for sexually assaulting five women
Tomas Gallagher preyed on five female victims by asking them to help him repair washing machines and tumble dryers during a series of incidents at the religious site A worker at the Lough Derg pilgrimage site who duped unsuspecting women into helping him at the retreat so he could sexually assault them has been jailed for a total of four years. Cunning Tomas Gallagher preyed on five female victims by asking them to help him repair washing machines and tumble dryers during a series of terrifying incidents at the renowned religious setting. But instead of helping the workman, the innocent women found themselves being sexually assaulted after the 42-year-old preyed on the unsuspecting women. Details of the plans hatched by Gallagher were outlined before Letterkenny Circuit Court last week. Gallagher had pleaded to seven charges in all, four for sexual assaults of adults, two for sexual assault on children and one charge of invitation to a child to sexually touch. And today, having considered reports on Gallagher as well as the statements from his victims, Judge John Aylmer jailed the father-of-one for five years with the last 12 months suspended. He said the crimes, as outlined in the case, were "egregious acts of violence in a sacred place of pilgrimage." St. Patrick's Purgatory on Lough Derg in Co Donegal. Photo: PAUL FAITH/AFP via Getty He told Gallagher that his crimes were 'deceitful' and 'premeditated' and that he placed them in the mid-range for such offences and which merited a sentence of seven years before mitigation. In mitigation he noted an early plea, the fact that the accused had no previous convictions, that he appeared to be remorseful and ashamed of his actions. Judge Aylmer also noted that Gallagher had undertaken 24 counselling sessions, that he was fully cooperative and that he had been ostracised in the local community. Taking the totality factor into account and that all sentences will run concurrently, Judge Aylmer said he was reducing the overall sentence to one of five years. He then added that with regard to all efforts to encourage rehabilitation and the fact that it needs to be encouraged, he suspended the final twelve months of that sentence meaning Gallagher will serve four years in prison. He is also to go under the supervision of the Probation Services for 12 months. Gallagher, from Rathanlacky, Dunkineely pleaded to a total of seven charges against five different women at the holy island on the shores of Lough Derg. He pleaded to six charges of sexual assault at St Patrick's Purgatory. These offences are contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as amended by Section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act 2001. He also pleaded that in the same period and location, he did attempt, by inviting, inducing, counselling or inciting a child to sexual touching. This offence is contrary to Section 4 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017. The victims, who cannot be named to protect their identity, ranged in age from their early teens to more mature women in their later years. Tomas Gallagher. Photo: Northwest News Pix News in 90 June 4th All of the offences took place in 2022 when Gallagher worked both as a maintenance man at the retreat, as well as driving a boat taking pilgrims to and from the island. Barrister for the state, Ms Fiona Crawford, BL and investigating Garda Joanna Doherty outlined the details of the incidents. Statements given to Gardai by the victims told how Gallagher had approached them, asking them to come into a laundry room as he needed help fixing various machines. The statements outlined how the unsuspecting women were asked to reach behind them into the machines while Gallagher fixed a 'pipe.' The women thought they were holding a pipe but instead they were gripping the accused man's penis. On one occasion, Gallagher told one of his victims to twist the pipe like she was 'revving a motorcycle.' Gallagher told another victim that the 'pipe' would be soft and moist. An older victim was approached by Gallagher who asked her to reach behind a dishwasher and hold a pipe but she 'knew immediately it was no pipe' as it was warm and soft and felt like a penis. The woman couldn't see it but the shocked woman jumped back and shouted 'what the f*** is that?' The woman didn't tell anybody else about the incident that day but felt upset and did later tell her daughter about what had happened. On another occasion, Gallagher asked a young teenage girl to help him with a washing machine and asked her to hold a 'pipe'. She grabbed the 'pipe' and he told her to 'hold it there' as he chatted to her about school. However, the girl told how the pipe didn't feel like plastic but was warm and had a rubbery texture and that it felt sticky or sweaty. Another teenager told in her statement how Gallagher asked him to assist her with a tumble dryer and told her to put her hand behind a wooden board and he got her to hold something. He told the girl to hold the 'pipe' harder and then to loosen it and then to increase her grip before he said 'yeah, that's fine.' The young woman then said the pipe was 'squishy, wet and warm' and when she stood up she saw Gallagher's penis sticking out from the zipper of his trousers. One young woman eventually came forward and told a person in charge what had happened which led to others coming forward making complaints of a similar nature against Gallagher. Gallagher was interviewed by Gardai on three occasions and initially denied anything untoward had happened. During one interview with Detective Garda Paul McHugh, Gallagher admitted asking one woman to hold a pipe on a tumble dryer as it had been leaking. He claimed the woman had got up and left for no apparent reason and he had been left nervous and embarrassed by the incident. However, he later admitted the offences and entered a guilty plea. Victim impact statements from the women were read out in court while two young women chose to read out their own statements. One young woman fought back tears as she told how despite being the victim she felt ashamed and disgusted by what had happened and often thinks about if she could have stopped this from happening to other women. She added that she often thinks about Gallagher's son and that she prays that he is safe. An older victim said she feels vulnerable and intimidated by what had happened and that she is sorry that she did not speak up sooner but was afraid that people would laugh at her or not believe her. Another victim told how she was a student but failed her exams because she became depressed after Gallagher's assault on her. However, she later completed her exams and was proud of herself and was determined not to allow her attacker to ruin her life further but still feels he stole something from her. A teenage victim said she has been forced to attend counselling because of anxiety and that she is now always on edge and simply cannot trust men. She decided not to come to court as she feared that seeing Gallagher again would trigger her anxiety. Another woman, who now lives abroad and gave her evidence by videolink, told how she lives in an apartment with a lift and if a man gets into the lift she can't stop thinking 'what if?' She said she realises that she should not tar all men with the same brush but Gallagher's attack had made her an angrier, wearier and a meaner person as a result. She added that she does feel disgusted by what had happened but sometimes feels glad that he had chosen her and that she had alerted the authorities to what was happening as she hated to think what number of victims there might have been. Gallagher took to the witness stand and said he wanted to apologise to his victims. He said he 'truly regretted' his actions and was sorry for the hurt and pain he had caused his victims and their families. Asked by his barrister, Mr Colm Smyth, SC, if he realised this was a huge breach of trust, Gallagher replied that he did. He also revealed that he had engaged in 24 counselling sessions to better understand the impact his actions have had on others. Mr Smyth said his client accepted full responsibility for his actions, that he had now lost his employment and had become a pariah in the local community because of the publicity surrounding the case. He added the fact that the offences took place in a sacred place, a place of pilgrimage for Christian people going back many centuries, also had to be acknowledged. Mr Smyth suggested to Judge John Aylmer that there also has to be 'light at the end of the tunnel' for Gallagher, asking him to consider his client's remorse, his blameless life up until now and his guilty plea.
Eyewitness News
03-06-2025
- General
- Eyewitness News
Sex workers offer Justice Department help
Sex workers and activists are calling for urgency reviving a bill to decriminalise sex work bill, which is currently being drafted for the second time. On Monday 2 June, members of Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) and the Asijiki Coalition set up desks and chairs outside the offices of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Cape Town. The mock 'help desk' was meant to represent sex workers and the DOJ drafting the bill together, with the seat reserved for the DOJ left empty. A large sign at the desk read: 'Sex workers are here to help you to redraft the bill.' 'Maybe they will come down and draft the bill with us,' said Lloyd Rugara, provincial coordinator for the Sisonke National Sex Work Movement. It's been two years since the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Bill of 2022 was withdrawn and sent back to be revised. In May 2023 state law advisors raised concerns about the bill's lack of regulation, according to former deputy minister John Jeffery. The new deputy minister Andries Nel has since taken office. Sex worker organisations have demanded a clear timeframe for the bill's implementation, consultations with sex workers, and the prioritisation of the 'long-delayed reform'. Constance Mathe, national coordinator at Asijiki, said that since funding cuts from USAID caused sex worker-friendly clinics to close down, sex workers have struggled to access health services at public facilities. They face stigma and long waiting hours at clinics and hospitals, she says. Mathe says that the decriminalisation bill would mean sex workers would be recognised under labour laws and would have safer working conditions. Mathe also raises concerns over the lack of consultation with sex workers during the second drafting of the bill and says that the drafting process was taking too long. 'No redrafting can take two years,' says Mathe. DOJ official Ashika Singh came outside to meet the activists. She said the DOJ would give them a response within three weeks. This article first appeared on GroundUp. Read the original article here.
Asahi Shimbun
02-06-2025
- Asahi Shimbun
Law provisions stressing inmate rehab programs now in effect
New Criminal Law provisions were enacted on June 1 that place greater emphasis on rehabilitation of prisoners rather than punishment. And, to accommodate the wide range of characteristics of those incarcerated, 24 correctional processes will be set up to provide different levels of support for elderly prisoners and those with disabilities. Labor-related workloads for such individuals may be reduced to provide more time for guidance and rehabilitation. The new penal guidelines will be applied to crimes that take place after June 1, but the 24 processes will be used to help those already in prison. A major goal of the changes is to reduce the recidivism rate. While the number of crimes has been gradually decreasing, about 50 percent of those detained by police have committed crimes in the past. That figure has remained largely unchanged in recent years and individuals sent back to prison account for between 55 and 60 percent of all newly sentenced inmates. According to a correctional statistics annual, there were about 14,000 prisoners in 2023 and senior citizens made up a record 14.3 percent of that number. Such numbers led to the belief that a more diverse menu of correctional programs was needed to match the changing characteristics of the prison population. For those who are not elderly or have no disabilities, correctional measures will take into consideration their age, the length of their sentence, the risk of recidivism and how willing the inmate is to undertake such programs. To improve the chances of rehabilitation, prison workloads will be adjusted to allow each prisoner more time to engage in activities, such as studying, intended to help them return to society without the fear of turning to crime again.
Time of India
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Gauhati HC rejects petition seeking law for compulsory castration in rape cases
Guwahati: The Gauhati high court has rejected a petition seeking a directive for the state govt to introduce laws mandating compulsory castration for individuals involved in gang rape, rape and murder, and rape of minors. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A PIL was filed by Reetam Singh last year, raising concerns over crimes against women and seeking a directive from the court for the govt to introduce such a punishment for the aforementioned crimes. Singh also sought a directive for the govt to implement laws similar to the Andhra Pradesh Disha Act - Criminal Law (Andhra Pradesh Amendment) Act 2019 in Assam. This was aimed at effectively controlling sexual offences against women and expediting trials with the death penalty. The Disha Act, enacted by the Andhra Pradesh state govt, is a criminal law amendment designed to address crimes against women and children, particularly those involving rape and murder. It mandates expedited trials, specific punishments, and the establishment of special courts. The bench of Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice Kardak Ete stated, "Every state has its own challenges in tackling the crimes against society, including crime against women and children. A scheme introduced or implemented by a particular state is not necessarily effective in another state." The bench further stated that any scheme for tackling crimes in a particular state is formulated and implemented after considering the ground realities of that state. "In such circumstances, no such directions can be issued that the state of Assam may implement or adopt a scheme of other states for tackling the crimes against women and children," the bench stated. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The DGP, in a counter affidavit filed before the court, stated that Assam Police maintains zero tolerance for crimes committed against women and children, and therefore such cases are regularly supervised. Moreover, besides holding monthly 'Crime Conferences' chaired by the DGP and meetings with the Public Prosecutor and Additional Public Prosecutor for early completion of trials, the DGP stated in the affidavit that Assam Police is very active on social media platforms to generate social awareness campaigns on various aspects of crime in general, and crime against women and children in particular. The DGP further stated in the affidavit that a total of 320 women help sesks have been set up in the state to make police stations more women-friendly and approachable. The women help desk is the first and single point of contact for any woman walking into a police station. The officials of the help desk are trained to manage any type of women-related cases being registered in the police station.
