Shame

This case has me absolutely gobsmacked.

A female, leftwing TD writes a letter verifying the good name of a rape accused's parents to the judge in his case.

I suppose Deputy Lynch being female and of the Labour persuasion shouldn't make a difference to me, but it does.

The blatant clientelism and "don't you know who I am-ism" of it. Everything Labour is supposedly against.

The blatant disrespect for the independence of the judiciary that it implies. Again, something the Opposition parties have spent the past 11 years berating the government for.

The fact that she believes the character of somebody's parents might have a bearing on whether they can be a rapist or not.

The betrayal of another woman that's involved.

Shame.