Residents bid to force sex offender out
The former priest and convicted sex offender who has lived in the Ballybane/Ballybrit area for nearly two weeks is under increasing community pressure to ‘move on’, the Galway City Tribune has learned.
Patrick McCabe (78), who was convicted of sexually assaulting five teenagers over 30 years ago, is now living in a private apartment just off the Monivea Road after being ‘outed’ from Barna over a fortnight ago. The arrival of McCabe in the Cluan na Mara apartment complex early last week has sparked off renewed calls for the publication of information in relation to the presence of convicted sex offenders in their areas.
The Galway City Tribune has learned that McCabe is being closely monitored by Gardaí, in line with the practice that applies to all people on the Sex Offenders Register. However, under the current law of the land, the Gardaí are strictly precluded from releasing any details to the public on the whereabouts of released sex offenders.
“We cannot, under any circumstances, comment on individual cases, but we would like to make it quite clear that anyone on the Register of Sex Offenders is monitored on a regular basis by Gardaí,” said the Garda spokesman.
He added that under the Sex Offenders Act of 2001, anyone on the Register of Sex Offenders has to at all times notify Gardaí as to their current address.
Local councillor Terry O’Flaherty said that the presence of a convicted sex offender in any area had, of course, to be a matter of concern to local residents and particularly those with young children.
“I do have trust in the Gardaí that in such cases, they will use their powers to keep a very close eye on those people. Close monitoring of such individuals is absolutely essential,” said Cllr O’Flaherty.
For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.