US government asks court to detain George Gibney until Irish extradition case is concluded
George Gibney
, was facing such serious criminal charges in
Ireland
he had an incentive to flee if granted bail and should remain in custody pending his extradition, the
United States
attorney for the Middle District of Florida has said.
In a submission to the United States district court in Orlando, Gregory W Kehoe has urged the court to deny Gibney (77) access to bail as 'he cannot meet his burden of showing that he poses no risk of flight or danger to the community'.
Gibney (77) was arrested in Florida on Tuesday on foot of an extradition request from Ireland, where he is facing 78 charges or indecent assault, and one charge of attempted rape. The alleged victims were aged between eight and 14 or 15 years when they say they were abused by Gibney, who was their swimming coach in South Dublin at different times between 1971 and 1981.
'Gibney is a flight risk and a danger to the community,' said the legal submission, obtained by The Irish Times, seeking his remand in custody in Florida until the extradition request has been full disposed of. 'As an initial matter, Gibney is alleged to have sexually assaulted at least four minor girls, abusing his authority as their swimming coach, over a period of several years. The seriousness of the offences for which Gibney is charged in Ireland heightens his risk of flight.'
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George Gibney: why did it take decades for the alleged sexual abuser to face new charges?
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George Gibney was arrested on Tuesday in Florida after a Garda request was made to the US State Department to extradite him to Ireland to face charges relating to alleged historical child sex abuse.The 77-year-old former swim coach, who avoided trial on sexual abuse charges in 1994 after successfully challenging his prosecution in the High Court, is now accused of 78 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape relating to four girls; and the alleged attempted rape of one of the girls.All four were minors, aged between eight and 15, and were coached by Gibney.They made complaints to the Garda between 2020 and 2022 after the BBC and Second Captains podcast Where is George Gibney? was aired in 2020.But why did it take over 30 years for Gibney to face fresh charges - and what happens next?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains the background.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon
It said, in the case of elderly suspects facing extradition, their advanced years carries an additional incentive to flee in a bid to avoid justice. 'This is particularly true given that Gibney is more than 70 years old and thus faces the real prospect of spending the remainder of his life in jail,' the submission said.
It said the circumstances of Gibney previously avoiding going on trial in the Republic – in the 1990s – should also be taken into consideration and, it said, adds to the case for his being denied bail.
'In relocating to the United States after the first set of allegations was dismissed, Gibney was able to evade the investigation of these allegations in Ireland,' Mr Kehoe's submission states.' Accordingly, allowance of bail in any amount would not guarantee the fugitive's presence in court and would invite the possibility of embarrassing the United States in the conduct of its foreign affairs.
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Why has it taken so long to arrest George Gibney in the US to enable extradition?
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'Either Gibney's danger to the community or flight risk would be enough, standing alone, for the court to deny any forthcoming application for bail.'
In 1993 Gibney appeared before the courts in Dublin charged with 27 sexual crimes. However, he took a High Court challenge to his prosecution and was successful. The court effectively ruled, in 1994, the allegations were too old, and many details too vague, to warrant a prosecution.
Gibney left Ireland, settling in the US in 1995, and remained there for the past 30 years, residing in Florida in recent years. However, between 2020 and 2022 the BBC published a podcast, Where is George Gibney? It prompted the four women now accusing him to come forward and give statements to the Garda.
A fresh criminal investigation was launched, with the DPP directing in May, 2023, he should face 79 charges. Last October the Irish embassy in Washington formally made a request to the US authorities to arrest Gibney for the purpose of extraditing to the Republic to stand trial. He was detained by US marshals in Florida on Tuesday and remains in custody there.
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