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A WOMAN who complained after a judge called her minutes after hearing her case saying she was “very beautiful” and suggesting they meet for coffee said she is totally disappointed in the justice system.
The woman, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, said she was “shocked and dismayed” that her complaint has been effectively ignored for nearly four years.
After a complaint with the Garda and then with the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc), the woman said that she feels very disappointed by the entire judicial system, without actually doing anything.
He said it was outrageous that a vulnerable person who turned to the legal system for help was treated in this way.
During a court hearing in December 2016, the judge requested that the mobile phone numbers of the woman and the other party be provided while he dealt with the matter in their private rooms.
Having called his number, he noted that the judge was writing it down.
Later, the woman noticed that she had a missed call from a number she did not recognize.
When she called again, she realized that the man who had called her was the judge.
The woman’s complaint statement, seen by the Herald, revealed her sworn recollection of the subsequent conversation:
“No, everything is going well with the case. I just wanted to talk to you. You looked very beautiful today,” said the woman the judge told her.
She said she was surprised and stuttered “OK” before asking if it was a joke.
“No, no, I just called. It’s a very busy time for Christmas, but I’d like to meet you sometime for coffee,” said the woman who was told.
He said that the judge proceeded to make several more calls and during one of which he advised him: “For my position, do not tell anyone that I am making contact.”
Later, while she was on vacation with her children in the Canary Islands, the woman received a text message from the judge asking her how her vacations were.
She later met with the judge for coffee, worried that he might advise her on her case and fearful of the consequences if she refused to meet.
After a short conversation, the judge left. The woman never met the judge again outside of a single court appearance.
“I went to the meeting because I was afraid he was not happy with me and would cross out my (case),” he said.
The woman was so upset by what happened that she filed a complaint. Her decision was motivated by her surprise to learn that another woman had made an accusation of sexual assault against the individual.
However, gardaí decided, after an investigation into his complaint, that there was no criminal element in the matter.
Ruled
The woman said officers seemed obsessed with her view of the judge rather than why he kept contacting her.
When Gardaí ruled out any further action, the woman contacted the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) to complain.
He also wrote to the Taoiseach, the Minister of Justice and the president of Gsoc.
Last year, a Gsoc investigator completed his report on the complaint and determined that it was classified in Category A, the highest possible classification in terms of severity.
It was presented to Gsoc’s top management in September 2019 but, to date, nothing has happened. Gsoc said it could not comment with the Herald on the matter.
When the woman requested a copy of the file, they told her that it was an internal document and that it could not be delivered.
“I have not yet received a response to my complaint, it is the third year of (the) ongoing cover-up,” he said. “I am appalled and dismayed that a complaint for which I have requested help (with) is being treated in this way. I am totally losing confidence in the integrity and independence of Gsoc.”
Herald
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