Woman censures TD over writing to judge about rapist's reputable family

A YOUNG woman who was raped by her sister's ex-boyfriend yesterday criticised a Labour TD for writing to the sentencing judge in the case to say that the man came from a respectable family.

The woman was one of two sisters raped by Trevor Casey (31), from Closes Road, Fairhill, Cork city, who was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in jail by Judge Patrick McCarthy at the Central Criminal Court for raping the sisters of his ex-girlfriend at three different addresses in 2003 and 2004.

Yesterday, when imposing sentence on Casey, the judge noted that he had received letters from Cork North Central Labour TD Kathleen Lynch, and former Labour Lord Mayor of Cork John Murray, indicating Casey came from a good family.

One of Casey's victims - who are now aged 18 and 20 - strongly criticised Ms Lynch and said she and her sister had been deeply upset to discover she had written a letter to the judge on the rapist's behalf.

"It was a disgrace - I was hurt by it. It felt like she was supporting a convicted rapist, whereas she should have been supporting me - we're all very angry at it - she's a politician for everyone and she supported him," she said.

"She let everyone down. She should be ashamed of herself if that's who she's standing for, if that's who she wants out on the street - she should be ashamed of herself," the woman told Cork's Red FM radio station.

Ms Lynch last night issued a statement in response in which she said that she did not know Trevor Casey personally, but that she did know his parents as "good and decent people", and when her mother asked her to write a letter, she did so as she felt it would be "cowardly to refuse".

"These were horrific offences, for which Trevor Casey has been found guilty, and the judge has imposed what he considered to be the appropriate sentence. I have no issue with the court process or the sentence imposed," said Ms Lynch in her statement. "My letter did not and was not intended to understate in any way the offences committed against the two victims in this case. I deeply sympathise with them and hope that in time they will be able to make a full recovery from their ordeal."