Speaking outside court, Eamon Power said the accused in sex assault
cases should have the same right to anonymity as the alleged victim
until they have been found guilty. (Fri/May/03/2013)
Mr Power, a 35-year-old from Limerick, was unanimously found not guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage girl after two hours of deliberation.
Crying openly after the verdict, Mr Power said his life had been hell since the allegations surfaced three years ago. He could not get work and his health suffered.
“People have been coming up to me and calling me a scumbag. My name is on the paper, which it should not be. I think it was completely wrong and they should be able to do something about that.
I have no previous convictions ever.
I have nothing ever against me.
“At least it’s over now.”
His former girlfriend, Geraldine Carey, who gave defence evidence during the trial said: “I know Eamon.
I was in a relationship with him for eight years, and know him inside out; an absolute gentleman.
Eamon is the kind of man, if anybody called and were stuck, he’d drop what he was doing. He is a gentleman.
“I think it is outrageous it came to court and these allegations were taken into consideration, that this could possibly happen. It’s a pure disgrace.”
She said when they left the court on Tuesday they heard his name on the radio.
“Eamon Power, his name, address, that he was charged with three sexual assaults of a minor going back.”
His sister Nuala said a sexual allegation was the lowest of the low and as a result her brother could not get work.
The family had to live the nightmare day in day out, she said.
The alleged victim, who is now aged 19, told the trial Mr Power unzipped her jeans when giving her a driving lesson.
She claimed the incident happened on the October bank holiday weekend in 2008 after Mr Power drove her to an industrial estate in Kilmallock.
In two previous incidents she claimed the accused attempted to place
his hand on her breast when visiting her house with his then girlfriend,
Ms Carey.
Garda Marie Tuohy said that during interviews Mr Power repeatedly denied the girl’s allegations.
The jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on all three counts.
www.rte.ie/news/2014/1022/653979-teachers-garda-vetting/
Nigel Evans, 56, said he had been dragged through "11 months of hell" by the case, and "nothing will ever be the same again".
The openly gay former Conservative lawmaker had been accused of using his "powerful" political influence to take advantage of the men in a trial that laid bare his drinking and clumsy flirting.
But on Thursday a jury at Preston Crown Court in northwest England found Evans not guilty on all counts, including one count of rape, five sexual assaults, one attempted sexual assault and two indecent assaults.
"I've gone through 11 months of hell," he said on the court steps.
During the trial, the jury heard Evans was prone to "drunken over-familiarity".
They heard he could be "flirty" and "over-friendly", making "cack-handed" passes, "almost like a drunken 14-year-old at a disco who could not chat you up with words".
One alleged victim dismissed an incident where Evans put his hand down his trousers as "crazy" and "just Nigel being drunken Nigel".
Evans was arrested in May and resigned as deputy speaker in parliament's lower house when he was charged in September last year, but stayed in the chamber as an independent MP.
He spoke of the "darkest and loneliest times" and said there were "no winners, so no celebrations".
- Drunken rickshaw incident -
Three of the MP's seven alleged victims did not consider an offence had been committed against them.
One alleged victim, aged 22, had told the court he was raped and sexually assaulted by Evans after a dinner party at the defendant's home in March last year, but the MP said the sex was consensual.
Peter Wright, Evans's lawyer, suggested the complainant had fabricated his evidence because he regretted having sex with a man more than twice his age.
Some MPs suggested the Crown Prosecution Service had questions to answer.
A CPS spokesman said: "The complainants in this case provided clear accounts of the alleged offending.
"That evidence could only be fully explored during a trial and the jury has decided, after hearing all of the evidence, that the prosecution has not proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. We respect this decision."
Prime Minister David Cameron, the Conservative leader, appeared to open the door for the MP of 22 years to rejoin the party fold.
"It is hard to imagine the relief that Nigel must feel after such a traumatic time," he said.
"As for the future, I'm sure it's something he'll be discussing with the chief whip."
It also emerged on Thursday that Evans wrote a letter of apology to Commons Speaker John Bercow following claims he drunkenly tried to enter parliament in a rickshaw in 2011.
The incident was brought up by the prosecution during the trial but the judge said the jury should not hear it because it would have an unfair effect on proceedings.
--------------
This appeared on the front page of the Metro free newspaper in London:
On your own in the park… Are you a pervert?
People taking a stroll in a park on their own are being stopped and questioned by council officials on the lookout for Paedophiles. Anyone spotted without at least one child in Telford Town Park in Shropshire, England is likely to be asked to explain what they are doing. If their answers do not prove satisfactory, they may be thrown out of the park and reported to police.
The Zero tolerance approach has enraged child safety campaigners. Michelle Elliot of Kidscape said ‘This kind of policy harms children. The presumption that every adult in a park is a paedophile is ludicrous.’
The policy has been introduced by Telford and Wrekin Council, which has ordered its staff to stop any lone adults spotted in the park.
It came to light when two environmental campaigners, who were dressed as penguines, were thrown out of the park for distributing leaflets protesting climate change. They were told they were evicted because they had not been through a risk assessment or a criminal records check, a process used to stop peadophiles working with children.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/9519627/political-attitudes-towards-child-abuse
When the pair complained to the council they were told in a letter ‘Our Town Park staff approach adults that are not associated with any children in the Town Park and request the reason for them being there. This is a precautionary measure.’ One protestor said ‘How many child molesters dress up as penguins anyway?’
The Home Office warned the council could be overstepping its legal powers. A council spokesman said ‘We do reserve the right to ask people what they are doing in the park. Otherwise it’s a free-for-all where they cam come and go as they want.’
www.childseyemedia.com/safer_strangers_code.html & www.kidscape.com
& www.kidscape.org.uk/
Using the phrase stranger danger.
The phrase stranger danger can make children fearful of all strangers. This means that if they get lost or feel unsafe or are approached by a stranger, they would not know who they could turn to for help. The phrase safer strangers, safer buildings is a positive alternative, giving children an immediate strategy to use, as part of their growing understanding of stranger awareness.
------------
ENDS:
Mr Power, a 35-year-old from Limerick, was unanimously found not guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage girl after two hours of deliberation.
Crying openly after the verdict, Mr Power said his life had been hell since the allegations surfaced three years ago. He could not get work and his health suffered.
“People have been coming up to me and calling me a scumbag. My name is on the paper, which it should not be. I think it was completely wrong and they should be able to do something about that.
I have no previous convictions ever.
I have nothing ever against me.
His former girlfriend, Geraldine Carey, who gave defence evidence during the trial said: “I know Eamon.
I was in a relationship with him for eight years, and know him inside out; an absolute gentleman.
Eamon is the kind of man, if anybody called and were stuck, he’d drop what he was doing. He is a gentleman.
“I think it is outrageous it came to court and these allegations were taken into consideration, that this could possibly happen. It’s a pure disgrace.”
She said when they left the court on Tuesday they heard his name on the radio.
“Eamon Power, his name, address, that he was charged with three sexual assaults of a minor going back.”
His sister Nuala said a sexual allegation was the lowest of the low and as a result her brother could not get work.
The family had to live the nightmare day in day out, she said.
The alleged victim, who is now aged 19, told the trial Mr Power unzipped her jeans when giving her a driving lesson.
She claimed the incident happened on the October bank holiday weekend in 2008 after Mr Power drove her to an industrial estate in Kilmallock.
Garda Marie Tuohy said that during interviews Mr Power repeatedly denied the girl’s allegations.
The jury returned unanimous not guilty verdicts on all three counts.
www.rte.ie/news/2014/1022/653979-teachers-garda-vetting/
- In a picture takenon September 18, 2013 former deputy speaker of Britain's House of Commons Nigel Evans (C) leaves Preston Magistrates Court in north-west England
A
former deputy speaker of Britain's House of Commons was cleared of
charges of sexually assaulting six young men and raping another.
Nigel Evans, 56, said he had been dragged through "11 months of hell" by the case, and "nothing will ever be the same again".
The openly gay former Conservative lawmaker had been accused of using his "powerful" political influence to take advantage of the men in a trial that laid bare his drinking and clumsy flirting.
But on Thursday a jury at Preston Crown Court in northwest England found Evans not guilty on all counts, including one count of rape, five sexual assaults, one attempted sexual assault and two indecent assaults.
"I've gone through 11 months of hell," he said on the court steps.
During the trial, the jury heard Evans was prone to "drunken over-familiarity".
They heard he could be "flirty" and "over-friendly", making "cack-handed" passes, "almost like a drunken 14-year-old at a disco who could not chat you up with words".
One alleged victim dismissed an incident where Evans put his hand down his trousers as "crazy" and "just Nigel being drunken Nigel".
Evans was arrested in May and resigned as deputy speaker in parliament's lower house when he was charged in September last year, but stayed in the chamber as an independent MP.
He spoke of the "darkest and loneliest times" and said there were "no winners, so no celebrations".
- Drunken rickshaw incident -
Three of the MP's seven alleged victims did not consider an offence had been committed against them.
One alleged victim, aged 22, had told the court he was raped and sexually assaulted by Evans after a dinner party at the defendant's home in March last year, but the MP said the sex was consensual.
Peter Wright, Evans's lawyer, suggested the complainant had fabricated his evidence because he regretted having sex with a man more than twice his age.
Some MPs suggested the Crown Prosecution Service had questions to answer.
A CPS spokesman said: "The complainants in this case provided clear accounts of the alleged offending.
"That evidence could only be fully explored during a trial and the jury has decided, after hearing all of the evidence, that the prosecution has not proved its case beyond reasonable doubt. We respect this decision."
Prime Minister David Cameron, the Conservative leader, appeared to open the door for the MP of 22 years to rejoin the party fold.
"It is hard to imagine the relief that Nigel must feel after such a traumatic time," he said.
"As for the future, I'm sure it's something he'll be discussing with the chief whip."
It also emerged on Thursday that Evans wrote a letter of apology to Commons Speaker John Bercow following claims he drunkenly tried to enter parliament in a rickshaw in 2011.
The incident was brought up by the prosecution during the trial but the judge said the jury should not hear it because it would have an unfair effect on proceedings.
--------------
This appeared on the front page of the Metro free newspaper in London:
On your own in the park… Are you a pervert?
People taking a stroll in a park on their own are being stopped and questioned by council officials on the lookout for Paedophiles. Anyone spotted without at least one child in Telford Town Park in Shropshire, England is likely to be asked to explain what they are doing. If their answers do not prove satisfactory, they may be thrown out of the park and reported to police.
The Zero tolerance approach has enraged child safety campaigners. Michelle Elliot of Kidscape said ‘This kind of policy harms children. The presumption that every adult in a park is a paedophile is ludicrous.’
The policy has been introduced by Telford and Wrekin Council, which has ordered its staff to stop any lone adults spotted in the park.
It came to light when two environmental campaigners, who were dressed as penguines, were thrown out of the park for distributing leaflets protesting climate change. They were told they were evicted because they had not been through a risk assessment or a criminal records check, a process used to stop peadophiles working with children.
https://www.scribd.com/doc/9519627/political-attitudes-towards-child-abuse
When the pair complained to the council they were told in a letter ‘Our Town Park staff approach adults that are not associated with any children in the Town Park and request the reason for them being there. This is a precautionary measure.’ One protestor said ‘How many child molesters dress up as penguins anyway?’
The Home Office warned the council could be overstepping its legal powers. A council spokesman said ‘We do reserve the right to ask people what they are doing in the park. Otherwise it’s a free-for-all where they cam come and go as they want.’
www.childseyemedia.com/safer_strangers_code.html & www.kidscape.com
& www.kidscape.org.uk/
Using the phrase stranger danger.
The phrase stranger danger can make children fearful of all strangers. This means that if they get lost or feel unsafe or are approached by a stranger, they would not know who they could turn to for help. The phrase safer strangers, safer buildings is a positive alternative, giving children an immediate strategy to use, as part of their growing understanding of stranger awareness.
------------
ENDS:
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