Rapist of 91 year old to be freed in NI!

A man who raped a 91-year-old woman and who police believe still poses a serious
risk to the public, is to be released from prison within weeks.

Eamon Foley, from Castlederg, has served half of his 16-year sentence, and must
be freed under the system of automatic 50% remission.

Mary-Anne McLaughlin died a month after the attack in January 1999.

Her niece, Jean McCafferty, said the justice won for her aunt in court has been
undermined.

"My aunt had been brutally raped and had died within four weeks of being
brutally raped, but we felt justice had been done that he had got the maximum
sentence of 16 years," she said.

"Now we read in the papers and get phone calls from the media to say that he is
getting out - that's not justice for my aunt, that's not justice for us as a
family."

While in jail, the 47-year-old has refused to take any sex offenders courses and
an assessment panel termed him a high risk offender who presents a danger to any
female - child or adult.

	At his trial in 2001, a forensic expert said the odds against the DNA
belonging to anyone else were a billion to one

Police have been granted an interim order which means that when he is released
he can only live at an approved address, can only use public transport and can
have no access to children or vulnerable adults.

The order is to be renewed in December.

The husband of murdered County Tyrone woman Attracta Harron told the BBC's Nolan
Show said that Foley should not have been released.

She was killed by Trevor Hamilton from Sion Mills in 2003, less than four months
after he had completed a sentence for rape.

Michael Harron said that moves to end 50% remission and introduce indeterminate
life sentences should be speeded up.

He added that the tagging of such offenders should also be introduced.

William McCauley, Strategy and Policy Co-Ordinator for the NI Sex Offender
Strategic Management Committee, said the law was changing.

"The reason he is getting out is because he has served his sentence that was set
by a court," he said.

"Legislation in place at the moment requires that he be released on 50% and I
understand the government are in the process at the moment of drafting new
legislation that will take account of those issues."

The County Tyrone man lost an appeal against his 16 year sentence at the Court
of Appeal in Belfast in 2005.

Foley was arrested after police took DNA samples from about 600 men in the
Castlederg area and it was forensic evidence which led to his conviction.

At his trial in 2001, a forensic expert said the odds against the DNA belonging
to anyone else were a billion to one.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/7017507.stm

Question:  If the authorities consider him a very high risk of re-offending...
Why let him out at all?

Prediction:  If he is let out...  He may well be visited by a few "friends"
within a week of his release...  Friends who want to show just how they feel
towards him...  Now if hammers and some sharp instruments are involved...  That
would be between friends...  But somehow I feel that this bastard is safer in
jail than out!  

What say you?

Ray

-- 
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When anyone asks me about the Irish character, I say look at the trees.
Maimed, stark and misshapen, but ferociously tenacious - Edna O'Brien
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Email  : rayh(removeSPAM)@iol.ie : Website: http://www.eirefirst.com
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date: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 11:02:11 -0400 author: WhiteWolf rayhspam@iol.ie