By Henry McDonald
The Guardian
June 5, 2011
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/31/david-norris-ireland-paedophilia-row
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| Senator David Norris has said his 2002 remarks about Greek 'classic paedophilia' were only in a hypothetical context and were resurfaced as part of a 'smear' campaign. |
The man who was on course to become Ireland and Europe's first openly gay president has described as "sabotage" the re-emergence of a nine-year-old interview in which he made controversial remarks about paedophilia.
The comments by senator David Norris, made in an interview in 2002, resurfaced in the Irish press on Monday, seriously damaging his chances of succeeding Mary McAleese to the Irish presidency. He had been ahead in all opinion polls in the race until this point.
In 2002 Norris told the current affairs magazine Magill: "I haven't the slightest interest in children, or in people who are considerably younger than me.
"I cannot understand how anybody could find children of either sex in the slightest bit attractive sexually ... but in terms of classic paedophilia, as practised by the Greeks, for example, where it is an older man introducing a younger man to adult life, there can be something said for it. Now, again, this is not something that appeals to me.
"Although, when I was younger, I would have greatly relished the prospect of an older, attractive, mature man taking me under his wing, lovingly introducing me to sexual realities, treating me with affection, teaching me about life."
Republication of the comments pose a challenge to Norris and how he handles the fallout may determine if he gets on the presidential ticket at all. Supporters of Norris admitted to being worried and said he would have to "clean up" the controversy if he hoped to secure a nomination.
Norris said on Tuesday that there had been a clear attempt to sabotage his bid to become Ireland's president. If elected Norris has vowed to challenge homophobia around the world and promised to confront the leaders of regimes who persecute gay people.
Norris described the republication of the interview as part of a smear campaign. He said that those who were circulating it should be ashamed of themselves. Norris described to RTE's Pat Kenny radio show how the story had re-emerged as an "inaccurate misleading misquotation".
Responding to questions from Kenny, Norris said: "I answered all the questions – on radio and in every newspaper … and now, Pat, that Magill article is being sent to all the [county] councillors in an attempt to prevent me from getting the nomination." He added that he abhorred any sexual contact with children, and opposed paedophilia and incest in all its forms.
In an earlier statement Norris said that, in the original interview he had "engaged in an academic discussion about classical Greece and sexual activity in a historical context. It was a hypothetical, intellectual conversation which should not have been seen as a considered representation of my views on some of the issues discussed over dinner.
"People should judge me on my record and actions as a public servant, over the last 35 years and on the causes and campaigns, for which I have fought, and not on an academic conversation with a journalist over dinner. I did not ever and would not approve of the finished article as it appeared," he said.
The journalist who conducted the original interview rang the Pat Kenny show live on air to defend her article. Helen Lucy Burke contested Norris's claim that she had continually turned her tape recorder on and off during the interview. Burke said she had amended a draft of her article in Magill before publication to allow for Norris's suggestions.
She said she still had a cassette tape of the interview although she could not find a machine to play back her recording.
In response to the journalist's call in to the radio show, Norris wrote on Twitter that he was "extremely grateful" for all the support he had received across Ireland. He stressed that he did not want to see Burke "personally attacked over her role in the furore.
The senator is seeking nomination from 20 MPs and senators or the backing of four city and county councils to obtain the nomination for the Irish presidency. In a fortnight, he will address three councils in one day, which he has described as "Super Monday". Last week an opinion poll in the Sunday Independent found 44% of those polled wanted Norris to succeed McAleese.
Apart from being a longstanding advocate of gay rights in Ireland and abroad, Norris is a renowned James Joyce scholar who has written several works on the author of Dubliners and Ulysses. He also campaigned to save Georgian parts of central Dublin from property developers.
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