Male Sex Offender Placed in Women’s Prison Already Plagued by Sexual Abuse Scandal

Last Updated February 21, 2021 00:30 UTC

IE — Dublin. In March, a man convicted of sexual offenses against a child was remanded to the only women’s prison in the country that provides accommodations for babies born to female inmates. Six months later, he was transferred to the female section of another prison.

The sex offender, whose name is currently being withheld from the public, was convicted of 10 counts of sexual assault and one count of cruelty against a child. He is the holder of a gender recognition certificate, but has not undergone gender-affirming cosmetic surgery and is not receiving cross-sex hormones.

Dóchas Centre Women’s Prison in Dublin, where the male convicted sex offender was originally placed, is a 105-capacity, medium-security facility. Dóchas houses a nursery for new mothers and their small children. The male newcomer was given protected status by the Irish Prison Service, and was accompanied by two officers at all times while in the facility’s common areas, for his protection and the protection of the other inmates.

The news came just four months after the Visiting Committee issued an annual report exposing “inappropriate relationships” between male staff and female inmates at Dóchas Centre. Noting that women at Dóchas Centre “are among the most vulnerable cohort in society,” the March 2019 report states: “Allegations have come to our attention of inappropriate relationships between some women and a small number of male staff.” The report’s authors appealed to “management, the Prison Service or other appropriate agency to take the necessary action” if it is found “that the behaviour of any prison officer, male or female, towards these women does not measure up to the highest professional standards demanded.”

In November 2011, as part of its research into the treatment of inmates in several prisons, the Department of Justice released a report describing an occasion in which female inmates at Dóchas were compelled to strip off all their clothes in front of male staff members. The Irish Penal Reform Trust, finding the incident to be of grave concern, had demanded a full investigation. The Women in Prison Reform Alliance and Archbishop Diarmuid Martin had called for all details related to any internal investigation into the incident to be published.

“[I]n a democratic system what goes on behind the walls of our prisons is a matter of public interest and must always be open to appropriate yet independent public scrutiny,” the Archbishop declared in a statement at the time.

According to Irish Prison Service data, 95% of female inmates are incarcerated for petty crime. Nine out of 10 are incarcerated for failure to pay court-ordered fines. Nearly all of the women serve sentences that are less than a year. Many struggle with trauma from a history of sexual abuse, mental health issues, substance abuse or homelessness. Teresa Clarke, regional manager of Mountjoy Prison Visitors Centre believes “95% of [women in prison] should be in addiction or mental health services.” She insists that “putting them into prison serves absolutely no purpose.”

UPDATE 00:30 UTC Tuesday, September 24, 2019

In September, the convicted male pedophile was transferred to the female corridor of Limerick Prison, which is designed to house a maximum of 28 women.

UPDATE 20:20:20 UTC Saturday, February 27, 2021

In February 2021, a solicitor for the convict appealed his six-year prison sentence, on the grounds that the sentencing judge did not have sufficient regard to the difficulties a “transgender woman” would face in prison. It was revealed that the man would pull his step-son’s pants down and sexually assault him without the awareness of the child’s mother. In addition, he physically abused the child and would threaten to break his arms and legs.

Those who would like to express their views on the male sex offender housed with vulnerable women should contact:

Caron McCaffrey, Director General of the Irish Prison Service
IDA Business Park, Ballinalee Road, Longford, Co. Longford
Phone: +353 43 33 35100
Fax: +353 43 33 35371
Email:  [email protected]
https://www.irishprisons.ie/contact/

UPDATE September 24, 2019 00:30 UTC: Prison transfer