Defence Forces morale on the floor as commentary over Cathal Crotty case seen as unfair

Defence Forces members feel organisation has been the target of unfair criticism from politicians including Taoiseach and the public after soldier received suspended sentence over vicious assaultSenior Defence Forces officers feel Taoiseach Simon Harris is treating the military as a scapegoat, while the judge who gave Cathal Crotty a suspended sentence largely escapes political criticism.

Senior officers feel Harris is treating the military as a scapegoat, while the judge who actually gave Crotty a suspended sentence largely escapes political criticism. Judge Tom O’Donnell had described the soldier’s attack on Natasha O’Brien as “utterly appalling”, but spared him a jail term. “If they want us to root out ‘Crottys’, then they need to give us the legislative powers to do it,” said one senior officer.

Finally, there is widespread dismay in the Defence Forces over public commentary regarding the appearance of Crotty’s commanding officer, Comdt Paul Togher, at the sentencing hearing. In fact, Togher was required under military law to be present and to give a summary of Crotty’s service record if requested. Words like “exemplary” and “professional” are simply HR terms, military sources said, not a personnel endorsement.

Criminal-Courts Gender-Equality Cathal-Crotty Natasha-O-Brien

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