CHILD ABUSE BLACKMAIL AGAINST DUBLIN CITY COUNCILLORS

Added to www.alliancesupport.org on February 5, 2007

[This is a natural progression from false allegations against Catholic clergy. After all there are not many priests and nuns left and our slanderers have to find their targets somewhere!]

Garda Probe As Builders Blackmail City Councillors With False Sex Abuse Claims.
Evening Herald, 5 February 2007 by Cormac Murphy

Builders are blackmailing councillors with false allegations of child abuse to prevent them from opposing planning permission.

Gardai are investigating two separate claims that property developers have falsely branded Dublin city councillors as paedophiles after planning decisions went against them.

The hateful practice has been slammed by Fine Gael councillor Gerry Breen who said that he is aware of the two cases in question.

Cllr Breen is now calling for protection for councillors against such slanderous allegations.
"If you try to defend yourself against it people say "there's no smoke without fire". We need to make sure councillors are protected against unfair allegations", he said.

Public representatives became aware of the verbal threat after Gardai were called to the home of a shaken Dublin city councillor after a builder made false allegations against him.

And in a similar incident, another councillor was threatened with being branded a paedophile.
The councillors subsequently sought the advice of Gerry Breen who has brought the matter to the attention of the local authority.

He wants council bosses to take action to protect against the fear of being slandered while carrying out work as a public representative.

"One of the councillors made a complaint to the council at the behest of residents and residents groups over what was alleged to be a planning infringement." Cllr Breen told the Evening Herald.
"The infringer then rang the Gardai and made allegations that the councillor had molested a child. That changed to the councillor having touched up the child and morphed into an allegation of trespassing on private property, " he said.

Gardai called to the home of the distressed politician but the matter was not pursued. Cllr Breen said that the problem with these types of allegations was that it is like being asked "so when did you stop beating your wife?".

"If you try to defend yourself against it people say "there's no smoke without fire". We have to make sure councillors are protected against unfair allegations" he said.
Cllr Breen added: "My view is that the councillors should be able to go the (city council) law agent and get advice and instruction."

When the issue was raised at a committee meeting of the council, executive manager Hugh Fitzpatrick felt it was up to councillors themselves to deal with the allegations.

ACTION
Mr Fitzpatrick said it is up to each individual councillor to take whatever action he, or she, felt is necessary to defend against whatever accusation has been made.

But Cllr Breen said: "If those councillors had issued proceedings against the blackguards the allegations would have come out into the open.

"You are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. If they defend themselves they stand accused but if they leave it alone it would disappear."

It is understood that the developers in question have a history of planning infringements.

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