Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
POLICE IN NORTHERN Ireland are warning paedophile hunter groups against identifying suspects online after 77 attacks have occurred on suspects since June 2017.
The latest of such incidents occurred last Saturday, when a home in Newtownabbey, Belfast was burgled.
It was reported that at around 8.30pm, the front windows of a house were smashed and three men wielding baseball bats entered the house.
Two men in their 50s were assaulted inside the property.
One man sustained a cut to the back of his head. The other man sustained a large cut to the top of his head and a suspected broken arm.
Both were treated in hospital for their injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening at the time.
It is understood that a number of online vigilante groups pose as teenagers online and engage in sexual conversations with people they suspect are paedophiles. The groups then confront the suspects on camera and post the videos online.
However, both the PSNI and gardaí have raised concerns over such practices.
The PSNI said there has been a rise in incidents involving these groups operating within Northern Ireland.
“We are the professionals with the expert knowledge and experience to carry out rigorous investigations to the required evidential standard,” Detective Chief Inspector David McBurney of the PSNI’s Public Protection Branch said.
Those involved in this type of vigilante behaviour aren’t in a position to ensure safeguarding issues are addressed and their actions could have a detrimental impact on the criminal justice process.
The PSNI said that, to date, no prosecutions have been secured in Northern Ireland using evidence passed to them from a vigilante group.
“We would again ask that if these groups are motivated to help safeguard children, they need to bring any information they have about the identity of any person engaged in sexual offences against children to the PSNI immediately,” McBurney said.
McBurney warned that these groups should not make arrangements to meet these individuals and should not share that information online.
“We need them to come to us with their information so that we can convert into evidence and ensure a thorough investigation is carried out including gathering the best possible evidence to enable effective investigations,” McBurney said.
An Garda Síochána said that it cannot comment on the specific activities of such groups operating in our jurisdiction.
However, they said that the actions of such groups are a cause for concern for An Garda Síochána and other police services.
“The activity engaged in and the manner of confrontation between such groups and their targets has the potential for violence and could result in harm to persons present,” gardaí said in a statement.
Gardaí raised concerns over the legality of the actions of such groups operating in Ireland.
“The manner in which such groups operate and how they interact with their chosen targets prior to and during the arranged meeting has the potential to affect future criminal proceedings,” the statement said.
Our priority at all times is the safety of children, and to us all lawful means to fully investigate and prosecute crimes which jeopardise the safety of a child.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
And a half a million people going to see the pope. HAHA
@Decko Kelly: Pope this and Pope that. People are quick to forget that if it wasn’t for the catholic church, we wouldn’t have one of the most educated work forces in the world.
@B-Tech Roadman: Ye good point. Once people are educated it’s ok to abuse children.
@Decko Kelly: But shur I know that. Lets not forget the good they did. Can’t be all bad
@B-Tech Roadman: say that to the victims and their families.
@B-Tech Roadman: how naive of you to think that a secular society would operate without schools. Governments fund schools religious or not. We unfortunately trusted them to care for our children for a few generations but that is changing.
@B-Tech Roadman: we have a well educated workforce. Don’t lose the run of yourself.
If we didn’t allow the church to run our schools then we would have had state run schools instead. The curriculum is set by the department of education so I think we would have been fine. Probably even better than our high standard now as students wouldn’t have wasted hundreds of hours learning prayers and backwards teachings.
When the “bad” that happened was as extreme as what that evil organisation did and then intentionally tried to cover up, then yes, we can forget about any good which they did.
The RCC is a scourge on the Irish people. The sooner the better they are completely separated from any state roles (eg education).
@Daveinson: We hadn’t a pot to piss in or a window to throw it out before the 1970′s.
@Decko Kelly: Never confuse the messenger with the message.
@Noel Tate: Tell us how you really feel, don’t sugar coat it! There’s waiting lists to get into many of the Catholic high schools in the Boston area. Individuals, myself included, if we had to do it over, wouldn’t even think of not attending a RCC high school! The education is years ahead of the public school zoos!
@Noel Tate: Tell us how you really feel, don’t sugar coat it! There’s waiting lists to get into many of the Catholic high schools in the Boston area. Individuals, myself included, if we had to do it over, wouldn’t even think of not attending a RCC high school! The education is years ahead.
@Noel Tate: the state and society (No matter how much they feign innocence) were happy for the church to take these roles, no one else would.
@Richard W. Kendall: it must be the colour of your religion.
@B-Tech Roadman: your clown mate !
@Noel Tate: you really don’t understand how poor we were. There would have been no schools or hospitals if the church didn’t provide them back in the day. Ireland wasn’t always like this.
@B-Tech Roadman: f##k off
@Richard W. Kendall: I never said the education wasn’t good. They are teaching a curriculum set by the department of education. They are not “years” ahead of non religious run schools.
The fact that people may be queueing for catholic run schools in Boston has zero to do with my point which was; when an organisation has committed as much sexual abuse, rape of children, murder of babies and toddlers, phycological abuse, child neglect and intentionally tried to cover it up, regardless of what good they have done they no longer have any place within our state education system.
@GClare: that
1: Doesn’t have any affect on my point and
2: Doesn’t change the fact that priests in Ireland raped hundreds (if not thousands) of children in Ireland and intentionally tried to cover it up. They still raped children, even IF people knew about it.
@Liam Doyle: I do, I know the role which the RCC played in running our education system and health care. However that doesn’t change the fact that they abused their power. They raped children, the murdered babies and toddlers and attempted to cover it all up.
My point that any good they done does not outweigh all the child rape and murder which they committed still stands.
@Liam Doyle: I’m very disheartened to see that both you and ‘B-Tech Roadman’ have been failed by the incredible Catholic Education you both clearly received, it’s almost as if both you somehow completely lost the capacity to think, and research for yourselves.
Contrary to your ignorant statement, quote; “There would have been no schools or hospitals if the church didn’t provide them back in the day.”
There was a school and hospital system in Ireland ‘back in the day’, from 1831 in fact, and it was far more tolerant and advanced than the Catholic School system we have today.
‘National schools, established by the British Government with the Stanley Letter in 1831, were originally multi-denominational. The schools were controlled by a State body, the National Board of Education, with a six-member board consisting of two Roman Catholics, two Church of Ireland, and two Presbyterians.’
@B-Tech Roadman: Look up Vere Foster.
The churches are masters at painting a face for themselves as veibg selfless and tireless toilers when in fact they hijacked resources in collusion with the state, and squeezed the poor with blackmail and threats. All with sanctimonious espousals. Sickening. However, the chickens are coming home to roost. The ground is shifting. One can smell panic from the liars, and this pope’s visit has backfired. In a big way.
@Gaius Gracchus: Good man Gaius!
@Gaius Gracchus: Well you can’t use semicolons or quote correctly so I’ll not lose sleep. I’m well able to think for myself and I’ve done so.
Regardless of how it started, the catholic church still had a fundamental part to play in our education. Whether your massive ego likes it or not.
@PV Nevin: You’re gone into tinfoil hat territory good sir
@B-Tech Roadman: bull sh it
@Gaius Gracchus: there were some slight political and economic changes circa 1922. Is your assumption that because the British could provide education & healthcare to a select, wealthy few in the 1830s then the impoverished Irish state could automatically provide same for all from independence onwards? Where did you fail to be educated exactly?
@B-Tech Roadman: man you are some
@B-Tech Roadman: Lunatic
Yes, but is the movie any good?
@Dave Slater: Perhaps. What this article doesn’t mention is the film grossed $1.4M worldwide in the opening weekend. The $618 was only in the US – limited to 11 cinemas / 14 showings. So a fair few people globally must have thought it looked worth going to see.
@Dave Slater: not great to be honest
@Dave Slater: It is not bad actually. I liked it.
@Shane Corry: The witch-hunts developing around Spacey et al is a very, very dangerous phenomenon.
“First they came for Weinstein. Now they will come for you”.
Why are comments allowed on this article but not on the #metoo article about he sex pest female actor? ???
Huh?
@andyearley: because it’s not about a legal case, the other one is.
@Dave O Keeffe: yeah but there are legal cases going on with spacey too. So comments about those cases could be published on this article.
@andyearley: and they will be removed but as the legal cases are not the subject it removes the liability from the publishers.
@Dave O Keeffe: OK man. As least I can stop being outraged and just do the washing up now. Maybe
@andyearley: because females aren’t sex pest!!!!!
@andyearley: The Denis O’Brien article two days ago had comments closed also – and it nothing to do with any court case.
@GClare: well yer one clearly was
@Clear And Graphic: The man who must not be named
@andyearley: who gives a feck
Is there any nudity in it?
@Do the Bort man: you mean like one of those French films?
@Do the Bort man: only if your Ma makes a cameo in it
Shame he’s a sex pest now, his acting skills are a loss to Hollywood
@Ciarān: accused but not proven or charged.
@B9xiRspG: Yeah I agree just accused of being a sex pest by a number of credible sources. Either way his career is over and Hollywood is minus a great actor regardless of what crimes he did or didn’t do
@Ciarān: so much for innocent until proven guilty. All you need is some creditable sources, just zero proof.
@Ciarān: ah he always a bit odd. Played that part in The Usual Suspects a bit too well if you ask me
@B9xiRspG: Calm down there it’s not me accusing him lol
@Ciarān: shame yeah .. hahaha
@Ciarān: Your Ma’s a sex pest
Old news
@Mr Grumble: brand new to me.
They released it on video in July. They are backwards over there.
have your say