By Donal Hickey
Irish Examiner
December 18, 2009
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/priest-quits-over-defence-of-sex-offender-108262.html
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A PRIEST who was criticised for giving character evidence of behalf of a convicted sex offender has stepped down from his position in the Kerry diocese in advance of a news conference later today by the 24-year-old woman who was assaulted in the case.
Fr Sean Sheehy was among 50 people to shake hands with Danny Foley prior to him being sentenced to seven years in prison earlier this week, at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee.
His withdrawal from his position in Castlegregory, where he had been acting as substitute parish priest, follows a meeting with the Bishop of Kerry, Bill Murphy. A statement from the bishop’s office said that in view of recent events, Fr Sheehy’s offer to withdraw his work from Castlegregory had been accepted.
Bishop Murphy had previously disassociated himself from Fr Sheehy’s actions and apologised to the victim.
Fr Sheehy, who had retired after spending over 40 years in the US, had been standing in for the regular Castlegregory parish priest, Fr Tadhg O Dochartaigh, who had been ill.
Meanwhile, the victim in this case – who has experienced local hostility since giving evidence in the court case – will today strongly urge other victims to come forward and report their assailants.
In a press conference scheduled for the Kerry Rape Crisis Centre in Tralee, the woman is expected to tell of her ordeal and reveal what she has gone through since the case was heard in court.
In a separate development, Foley’s brother and fiancee appealed to people in Listowel not to shun the victim who has claimed she is being "judged" by some people in the area. Foley’s brother Tim called for common sense to prevail after it emerged the victim could be forced to leave Listowel.
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