By Pat Kelly.
It has emerged that up to 25 criminal rape cases may collapse because the nurse who carried out examinations on alleged victims was not registered.
The nurse, who worked in Letterkenny General Hospital, had allowed her membership with An Bord Altrainais to lapse and the information she gathered on behalf of the HSE relating to victims could therefore be rendered inadmissible. This could potentially allow the accused persons to avoid trial via a technical loophole.
“For survivors of rape, the experience of a forensic medical examination can be traumatic,” said Fiona Neary, Executive Director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI). “Many victims choose to do it because they do not want this to happen to someone else… these [alleged] rape victims have been betrayed by the HSE.”
Reports indicate that the nurse in question was taken off the national register in 2009 because of non-payment of fees, but that this information was not communicated to Letterkenny General Hospital.
The nurse worked in the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit of Letterkenny General for a period of 18 months while unregistered and the Director of Public Prosecutions is now deliberating whether her testimony must be considered inadmissible.
pat.kelly@imt.ie
About admin
Loading ...
