Latest news with #restorativejustice
Irish Times
7 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘I want to meet him in a safe space and look him in the eyes': Spanish tourist raped in Dublin wants to meet her attacker
A Spanish tourist who was raped in Dublin city centre during New Year's Eve celebrations has said she wants to meet her attacker in a safe space and ask him how he could have been so cruel. The prosecution will now look into providing restorative justice for the complainant to allow her to do this, with the court hearing that it is rarely utilised for victims in rape cases before the Central Criminal Court. Christopher O'Grady (33), formerly of Muirhevnamor, Dundalk, Co Louth, was found guilty of one count of raping the then 19-year-old woman on January 1st, 2019 following a trial last March. He was homeless at the time. In her victim impact statement which was read out by prosecution counsel, Tony McGillicuddy SC, the woman said: 'I don't know why, but I want to meet him in a safe space and look him in the eyes and ask him what reason would anyone have to be so cruel to a young woman.' READ MORE '...I want to know if he believes his own lies. I want him to truly see me and be forced to see himself as monstrous as I saw him.' She outlined the effects the rape have had on her, saying O'Grady turned her life upside down. 'He didn't see the person behind the body,' she said. She described how she can no longer socialise or dance like she used to, is fearful of walking alone at night and is hypervigilant of other young women out at night. Padraig Dwyer SC, defending O'Grady, submitted his client was guilty of rape on the basis that he was reckless as to whether the young woman was consenting or not. He said O'Grady now accepts his guilt and wished to apologise to the victim for the hurt and pain he caused her. After some consultation with both O'Grady and the complainant, the court was told that they are both willing to engage in restorative justice. Ms Justice Caroline Biggs warned O'Grady that this does not mean he will not be serving a custodial sentence for his offending. She noted that any restorative justice process would need to be managed by appropriate individuals, given the effects of the crime on the complainant. Mr McGillycuddy said he had some knowledge of restorative justice but was 'not aware of it being used for an offence of this nature'. Ms Justice Biggs adjourned the case to July 24th to give the prosecution time to look into the issue. The trial heard the woman had been in town to watch the New Year's Eve fireworks that night when she got separated from her friend and came into contact with O'Grady outside a shop. She told the court she was trying to find a bar to meet her friend and O'Grady walked her through town to a car park area where the alleged rape occurred. The woman said she felt 'like a doll' and didn't have any strength in her body during the alleged incident. Afterwards, the court has heard she walked with O'Grady back through the city centre for about 40 minutes, where she got talking to a couple – a man and woman - outside a shop and parted ways with O'Grady. The woman ended up in a B&B with the second man after the woman went home, where they had anal sex before the woman went home to her accommodation. She told the court it was painful and she persuaded the man to stop. The trial was played CCTV footage of this encounter, which occurred in the hallway of the B&B. Ms Justice Biggs warned the jury that they may find this footage 'intrusive' and 'distressing', but she said she had made the decision that it needed to be shown in court as O'Grady had a constitutional right to put the evidence before them. When the complainant woke up the next morning, she told the court she 'realised I had two rapes and there might be a medical issue with that'. She went to hospital. The court heard no charge was brought against the second man, who gave evidence in the trial. Sergeant Eoghan Kirwan told the court that O'Grady has 65 previous convictions, including public order offences, criminal damage, drugs and theft. He took a bench warrant while on bail for this offence and has been in custody since August 2024. Defence counsel said O'Grady was living a 'shambolic' lifestyle at the time of the offence, that he was homeless, begging on the streets and doing drugs.
NHK
09-07-2025
- Business
- NHK
Inquiry of British Post Office scandal calls for 'restorative justice' program
A British inquiry has called for a "restorative justice" program for Post Office workers wrongly convicted due to a flawed accounting system supplied by a subsidiary of Japanese electronics firm Fujitsu. More than 900 British post office branch operators and other staff were prosecuted on theft and other charges between 1999 and 2015 after the software wrongly indicated shortfalls of cash. A British court recognized the defect in the software, Horizon, in 2019. Last year, the country enacted a law to exonerate and compensate all victims of the scandal. So far, about 1.49 billion dollars has been paid to claimants. On Tuesday, the independent inquiry released its first report. The report says all people who have been wrongly convicted and those who have been held responsible are victims of "wholly unacceptable" behavior perpetrated by the Post Office and Fujitsu. It says that there are currently about 10,000 eligible claimants in the schemes providing financial compensation. The report calls on the British government to "devise a process for providing financial redress to close family members of those most adversely affected by Horizon." It also urges Fujitsu, the government and the Post Office to publish a report on a program for restorative justice by the end of October. Fujitsu and the British government have already agreed to start talks on compensation for victims. Following the report's release, Fujitsu expressed its remorse and offered an apology. It said it hopes the issue will be quickly settled with fair redress for victims. The company pledged full cooperation with investigations, and said it will discuss its contributions to compensation with the British government.
CTV News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
GECDSB trustee sanctions reconsidered, Armstrong's ban partially lifted
The Greater-Essex County District School Board office in Windsor, Ont., on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (Robert Lothian/CTV News Windsor) Trustees with the Greater Essex Country District School Board (GECDSB) were given the opportunity Tuesday evening to revisit the sanctions made against trustee Nancy Armstrong. At the June 10 board meeting, trustees sanctioned Armstrong for comments made on a podcast surrounding the naming process of Erie Migration District School in Kingsville, that were found to have violated the board's trustee code of conduct. Armstrong responded in writing confirming she would accept the invitation to engage in restorative justice sessions. 'I am genuinely looking forward to the opportunity to address unanswered questions, engage in meaningful discussions around unresolved issues, and reflect on the vital roles that trustees play in our communities,' said Armstrong in her response to trustees. Armstrong asked for the board to reconsider her ban on attending private session meetings until the end of her term. 'There is a genuine risk that the decision is being judged as punitive rather than constructive which is actively undermining the already limited trust in what is widely expected to be the Board's commitment to transparency, fairness, and collaboration,' said Armstrong. Board chair Gale Hatfield brought forward a motion seeking to reduce the ban to the end of 2025, rather than the next election, but also banning Armstrong from public meetings. 'I think the investigators report clearly explains to us that there was a breach of confidentiality, and I take that very seriously, however, on reflection and taking into consideration trustee Armstrong's letter, I'm not sure how that will serve any purpose other than to be punitive,' Hatfield said. Trustee Linda Qin said she believed trustees spoke out to the media during the school naming process to protect their reputation and called the move to ban from Armstrong from public meetings punitive. 'The reason we go to media is because we are silenced here, and we were not allowed to debate, we we're not allowed to debate, that's the fact,' Qin said. Trustee Julia Burgess said she believed the restorative justice sessions would lead to healing. 'We have not entered into restorative justice yet where there I think will be a learning curve, and, hopefully, acceptance and understanding of what confidentiality is,' Burgess said. Hatfield's motion failed and other motions were presented with varying timelines. As motions kept failing, trustees Ron LeClair and Kim McKinley left the meeting. Trustee Cathy Cooke introduced a motion to bar Armstrong from private meetings until the end of November 2025, which eventually passed. Trustees will next meet on Oct. 21. — Dustin Coffman/AM800 News
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'It's just been very rewarding': Executive director reflects on 3 decades at John Howard Society
The first time Cindy Murphy walked through the doors of the John Howard Society was in 1992. At that time, she didn't have any intention of working in corrections, but a guest speaker in a university class piqued her interest about a volunteer program at Her Majesty's Penitentiary. "I just had this feeling that this was … probably a good place for me," Murphy said. "That I could probably hope to make some kind of difference here." And 33 years later, she's walking out the door for the last time as she retires from what she calls an amazing career. The John Howard Society is a non-profit organization that works with people in the criminal justice system. Its goal is to reduce and prevent crime, educate, and reform through restorative justice principles. "I just kind of knew that was my place," Murphy said, sitting in her office on Pennywell Road in St. John's. A bouquet of flowers sits on a cabinet — a retirement gift from a client — and a homemade retirement card on her desk. "I think the work is rewarding," Murphy said. Murphy has spent the last couple of months reflecting on her two decades as the executive director, and as a volunteer before that. She said the time she's spent in the community, working with people in the justice system, held lessons that she will take with her. "I think one of the biggest ones is understanding that people are more than just a criminal record, you know. So understanding that they are human beings who deserve support and understanding … that they're just not about locking people up and throwing away the key. That people are so much more than that," she said. And it's not an easy line of work advocating for people in the system, working with the government for change and balancing public opinion about incarceration. That, she said, has been one of the biggest challenges of her career. She said people should be held accountable for their actions and crimes, but punishment is not just about incarceration. "When someone is punished, they lose their freedom. That is the punishment," she said. "But it doesn't mean that we continue to punish them day in and day out by subjecting them to inhumane conditions, many of which we've seen at HMP as an example, for many, many years." The headlines over the last three decades haven't always been lighthearted. Rats in HMP, overheating, overcrowding, and generally unfit living conditions for inmates have been some of the challenges that Murphy has taken on. And over the last 33 years, a lot has changed. But, she said, there's lots of work to be done. "I don't think there'll ever be a time when John Howard services will no longer be needed," she said. Murphy said the society is seeing more people than ever before come through their doors, there's more women in the system than ever before, and problems like overcrowding at HMP are still present. WATCH | 'I just knew that this was my kind of place,' says longtime executive director of the John Howard Society: She said these issues have been neglected. "If you incarcerate people, then you have to provide them a certain service and supervision and rehabilitation because that's what the Department of Justice mission statement is all about," she said. "And so I think we have failed in many ways." Murphy said something she regrets is not having more preventive work, which she says the society is working on. "There's so many missed opportunities to work with young people further upstream than trying to solve the problems of criminal justice after the fact," she said. And now, as she's closing the door on this chapter, another door is opening. The provincial government broke ground on a new prison facility last week, a milestone Murphy has been advocating for for years. "I'll believe it when I see it," Murphy laughed. She said it's been a long time coming, but she's optimistic. That will be a task for her colleague Melissa Noseworthy, who Murphy is delighted to see take the reins. So, what will Murphy miss the most from her long and storied career? The people. "There's no question about that," she said. "When I think about the longevity, the people I've met, the people I've worked with, our board of directors, and of course the clients that we serve day in and day out, it's just been very rewarding." Now, she said she's looking forward to relaxing with her family, travelling, and maybe some volunteer work. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'It's just been very rewarding': Executive director reflects on 3 decades at John Howard Society
The first time Cindy Murphy walked through the doors of the John Howard Society was in 1992. At that time, she didn't have any intention of working in corrections, but a guest speaker in a university class piqued her interest about a volunteer program at Her Majesty's Penitentiary. "I just had this feeling that this was … probably a good place for me," Murphy said. "That I could probably hope to make some kind of difference here." And 33 years later, she's walking out the door for the last time as she retires from what she calls an amazing career. The John Howard Society is a non-profit organization that works with people in the criminal justice system. Its goal is to reduce and prevent crime, educate, and reform through restorative justice principles. "I just kind of knew that was my place," Murphy said, sitting in her office on Pennywell Road in St. John's. A bouquet of flowers sits on a cabinet — a retirement gift from a client — and a homemade retirement card on her desk. "I think the work is rewarding," Murphy said. Murphy has spent the last couple of months reflecting on her two decades as the executive director, and as a volunteer before that. She said the time she's spent in the community, working with people in the justice system, held lessons that she will take with her. "I think one of the biggest ones is understanding that people are more than just a criminal record, you know. So understanding that they are human beings who deserve support and understanding … that they're just not about locking people up and throwing away the key. That people are so much more than that," she said. And it's not an easy line of work advocating for people in the system, working with the government for change and balancing public opinion about incarceration. That, she said, has been one of the biggest challenges of her career. She said people should be held accountable for their actions and crimes, but punishment is not just about incarceration. "When someone is punished, they lose their freedom. That is the punishment," she said. "But it doesn't mean that we continue to punish them day in and day out by subjecting them to inhumane conditions, many of which we've seen at HMP as an example, for many, many years." The headlines over the last three decades haven't always been lighthearted. Rats in HMP, overheating, overcrowding, and generally unfit living conditions for inmates have been some of the challenges that Murphy has taken on. And over the last 33 years, a lot has changed. But, she said, there's lots of work to be done. "I don't think there'll ever be a time when John Howard services will no longer be needed," she said. Murphy said the society is seeing more people than ever before come through their doors, there's more women in the system than ever before, and problems like overcrowding at HMP are still present. WATCH | 'I just knew that this was my kind of place,' says longtime executive director of the John Howard Society: She said these issues have been neglected. "If you incarcerate people, then you have to provide them a certain service and supervision and rehabilitation because that's what the Department of Justice mission statement is all about," she said. "And so I think we have failed in many ways." Murphy said something she regrets is not having more preventive work, which she says the society is working on. "There's so many missed opportunities to work with young people further upstream than trying to solve the problems of criminal justice after the fact," she said. And now, as she's closing the door on this chapter, another door is opening. The provincial government broke ground on a new prison facility last week, a milestone Murphy has been advocating for for years. "I'll believe it when I see it," Murphy laughed. She said it's been a long time coming, but she's optimistic. That will be a task for her colleague Melissa Noseworthy, who Murphy is delighted to see take the reins. So, what will Murphy miss the most from her long and storied career? The people. "There's no question about that," she said. "When I think about the longevity, the people I've met, the people I've worked with, our board of directors, and of course the clients that we serve day in and day out, it's just been very rewarding." Now, she said she's looking forward to relaxing with her family, travelling, and maybe some volunteer work. Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.
