The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) has restored the whip to councillor Brian Tierney, who was suspended after he provided a court reference for an Irish soldier that was later jailed for rape.
Kielan Mooney was jailed for eight and a half years for raping a woman who also served in the Irish Army.
Tierney said it was a “grave error of judgement” and that he was “unaware of the charges” when he wrote the reference. His solicitor issued a statement on his behalf saying he had been “misled into giving this character reference.”
The SDLP launched an investigation, which has now concluded.
Statement from the SDLP:
“We acknowledge the deep hurt caused by the issuing of a character reference for Kielan Mooney. We further acknowledge that Councillor Tierney was misled about the nature of the offence, that his apology and his engagement with affected parties were fulsome, and that they have been accepted by the victim at the centre of the case against Mooney.
“In a separate instance covered by the investigation, Cllr Tierney liked a prominent Facebook post in 2018 from the family of a local man who had recently taken his own life. We accept that while not intending to cause hurt, this added to the distress felt by a victim close to the situation.
“We want to put on record our appreciation to those who engaged with the party as part of this investigation and for the guidance from organisations expert in supporting women within the justice system on this matter.
“Character references in the legal system have worked against victims and survivors of sexual violence and the SDLP are actively working for them to be prohibited in cases of this nature. Harm, even if unintended, needs to be addressed in a way that supports pathways to justice for victims.
“As a political party we accept the need to challenge and educate on attitudes that can contribute to an environment that is stacked against victims and survivors.
“The SDLP believes in the legitimacy of remorse and restitution. That’s why we have taken the decision to reinstate Brian Tierney’s SDLP membership alongside a number of substantial process changes within the party.
“The SDLP has issued directives to all our elected representatives that include:
- Mandatory training for all elected representatives around the barriers women face in the justice system, as well in understanding how they as individuals can support victims of domestic abuse and challenge the environments that enable it.
- Policy instruction that reiterates that the party does not support the provision of character references, particularly for allegations of violent and sexual crimes.
- Guidance on appropriate social media usage.
“The SDLP will continue to work towards the eradication of violence against women and girls and will actively campaign for the removal of character references in our courts.”
