Alliance says no to elderly crime legislationmotion

A recent meeting of the Corporate Services Committee had agreed to recommend backing for a call from Down District Council asking the Minister for Justice to introduce legislation that would see perpetrators of serious crime against the elderly receiving custodial sentences.

However when the issue came up at Tuesday night’s meeting of the full Council to be ratified, Councillor Brian Dornan said he could not support the motion and this view was supported by his party colleagues.

Mr Dornan said: “Every member of this Council is disgusted by attacks on older people and invasions of their homes.

“I have spent my working life involved with the protection of children and vulnerable adults. Indeed I was the lead Director in Health and Social Services in the Southern Area for both these functions until a year ago.

“Vulnerable adults who require to be protected include older people, people with disabilities, people who are mentally vulnerable and others.

“The protection of vulnerable adults is a multi-agency function which requires the contribution of the police, the Public Prosecution Service, the courts, health and social services and voluntary organisations.”

Mr Dornan continued: “Each brings its own expertise and each has a specific role. What I have learned over many years is that each agency and profession must respect the perspective and expertise of the others in this partnership effort.

“Detection, prosecution, sentencing, protection planning and support for victims and potential victims are all elements in the response which is required.”

Mr Dornan said: “Abuse makes us all angry. It made me very angry especially when despite preparation of a file, a prosecution was not brought or when a conviction was not achieved or when I would have wished for a more severe sentence.

“What I had to recognise, however, was that I had one perspective on specific cases of abuse and that my perspective did not make me the appropriate person to be making some of these judgments.

“I have great sympathy with this resolution. I have no disagreement with the motive of its proposers. I do however believe that we need to exercise the greatest of care before embarking on restricting the decision-making of the judiciary.”

Mr Dornan said he believed the Judicial Sentencing Group should be allowed to do its work. “It is aware of community concern and its review of sentencing is the proper process to follow,” he said.

“For our democratic system to work requires respect for the role of our judges. While we may, on occasion, be unhappy about specific judicial decisions we must protect the empowered and balanced operation of our courts. We must leave our judges the scope to take account of all relevant circumstances in making their sentencing decisions. They are best placed to take account of each crime, each victim and each offender.

“We should allow the Lord Chief Justice’s Judicial Sentencing Group to proceed with its work. We should not by-pass this by proceeding to legislation prematurely in respect of one group of vulnerable adults,” concluded Mr Dornan.

DUP Alderman Jonathan Craig said said he fully supported the motion and Alderman Paul Givan said he was surprised by the Alliance Party response.

Councillor Ronnie Crawford said that the “morality of any society is determined on how we treat our elderly. Can we show the present policy is effective?” he asked.