Fine Gael TD Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said she made a complaint to the Garda about harassment because she worried someone more vulnerable might be targeted. Ms Carroll MacNeill was speaking after Gerard Culhane (43) of Marian Place, Glin, Co Limerick, received a one-year suspended sentence for sending her explicit images.
When Ms Carroll MacNeill received the first video from Culhane, who has no previous convictions, she wondered if her harasser was a repeat offender, making it more imperative that she press charges.
While she said her position as a politician led to media interest in the case, many other women confronting online or in-person harassment did not receive the same attention.
“I want to say clearly that it is not acceptable to send unwanted sexual content – to have to receive it at any time of day, whether intended frivolously or threateningly – sending unwanted sexual content is not normal, it is not acceptable,” said Ms Carroll MacNeill.
Women finding themselves in a similar situation should contact An Garda Síochána, she said.
“And while I recognise that it is not pleasant to be here, indeed I have said already I have absolutely no wish to be here, it is possible to put an end to the experience through the criminal justice system and I hope someone may hear that today,” she said.
Although Ms Carroll MacNeill said being a woman in politics presented difficulties, she said these could be overcome. “I hope that it shows how much male support there is for women in politics. And I hope that by facing down these barriers one by one we can make it easier for the young women of Ireland who will not need to face them when they come in as our successors.”
Flanked by political colleagues, Ms Carroll MacNeill expressed gratitude to the “Fine Gael family” for its support during a difficult time. “I want to thank my colleagues who were very determined to be here today to show their support for me as a colleague but also as a woman,” she said.