Laura Murphy writes open letter to Minster for Justice after protesters claimed they were stripped searched by gardaí

Poet Laura Murphy has shared an open letter Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan demanding "a public apology" after protesters claimed they were stripped and had their "private areas" searched by gardaí.

An Garda Siochána have refuted that any strip searches took place.

Fourteen people in total were arrested on Kildare Street on Monday after holding an overnight vigil outside the Oireachtas to coincide with Mother’s Day.

Protesters supporting the Mothers against Genocide group returned to street today, and said they were “devastated” over Garda treatment of those detained.

Of the fourteen people arrested this week three individuals were charged and eleven others received adult cautions.

In the Dáil yesterday, People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said some of the women were “strip searched” after their arrest.

His party colleague Ruth Coppinger told the chamber that a “cavity search” was conducted on one of the women arrested.

In a statement, a Garda spokesperson stood over the arrests, claiming they took place after members engaged with the protesters who were blocking the entrance to Dáil Éireann and were detained after they did not comply with directions, contrary to public order laws.

It is understood that those who were cautioned are now seeking legal advice on whether to make a GSOC complaint.

"Eight mothers along with their supporters, motivated by nothing except love, engaged in a peaceful vigil to have their voices heard in a brave effort to stop the killing of innocent Palestinian children, women and men," Murphy's letter reads.

"Mothers Against Genocide had co-operated with the gardaí in advance by respectfully informing them that an all-night vigil would take place, that it would end at 10am the following morning, and that the memorial for murdered Palestinian mothers and children would be removed by 7:30am.

"Despite this, and with no provocation or threat, the gardaí, in excessive numbers, used unjustified force to destroy the candle-lit memorial and aggressively handle, remove and arrest eight mothers with six supporters who peacefully protested this unnecessary act of belligerent aggression."

One protester, who is quoted in the letter, claims that they were "stripped completely naked" and had their "private" and "sensitive" areas searched by gardaí.

“Several police officers attacked me, shouting words I couldn’t focus on," they said. "I feel extreme panic when touched by strangers, so I started screaming, “Don’t touch me!”. One of them lost control and kicked my leg, making me fall face-first to the ground.

"Three officers then sat on me, violently handcuffed me, and threw me into a police vehicle. I was stripped completely naked and asked to remove my underwear. When I questioned the necessity of this, I was told that I’d be forced violently if I didn’t comply and that they didn’t wantany trouble.

"After removing my underwear, they looked inside my private areas and touched all my sensitive parts. When I asked to use the bathroom, they left the door partially open.”

Murphy's letter continued to describe how Monday’s events caused "significant trauma" to those arrested, as well as "to all
women and men in Ireland who are trying to heal from intergenerational traumas; sexual abuse - which is endemic, enduring trauma from the oppression of our colonisers, the subsequent struggle for freedom and the civil war, and Catholic Ireland’s incarceration of unmarried mothers, or ‘offenders’ as they were known to the gardaí who rounded them up."

The poet and activist concluded the letter by making a number of demands to Minister O'Callaghan, including:  "an internal and independent investigation of Monday’s events", a "review of current approaches of An Garda Síochána to protests," and a  "public apology to the mothers and supporters who were strip and cavity searched."

Read the statement in full below.

 

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