Hunger strike over sentencing

Sir, – I am very sorry to say that I will not be going on my hunger strike for the month of September as I had hoped to do (…

Sir, – I am very sorry to say that I will not be going on my hunger strike for the month of September as I had hoped to do (August 2nd). It is not that I do not want to do this: my belief that there needs to be a major change in the sentences handed down to those who commit violent crimes in this country as I showed by my similar protest during Lent.

I am afraid that my health would not allow me to do this again as I have not regained the weight I lost the last time and my general health is not good enough to do this again.

I am both embarrassed and ashamed that I can not do this as I still feel that it needs to be done, but no one should do this without a lot of thought and medical advice.

It is easy to say that one will do something like this no matter the cost to self, but one must consider their families and respect their opinions.

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I am sorry to have let people down but I just cannot do this as I doubt I would last more than a week or so. All I can say is sorry. – Yours, etc,

DAVID SYMS (Rev),

Senior Pastor,

Baptist Church of Ireland,

Church Strand View,

Baltimore,

Co Cork.