Defense force morale low as comment on Cathal Crotty affair seen as unfair

The controversy surrounding Cathal Crotty, a serving soldier who escaped a suspended sentence following a violent and unprovoked attack on a woman, could hardly have come at a worse time for the beleaguered Defense Force.

Less than a week after Crotty, 22, avoided jail for beating Natasha O’Brien unconscious in a random street attack, the first hearing has taken place at the Defence Forces Tribunal, which is examining the complaints process into allegations of widespread sexual abuse, harassment, bullying and assault in the military.

These events, combined with a general malaise within the Defense Forces – which continue to bleed manpower – have left morale at all ranks “on the ground”, according to sources.

Following the Crotty affair, many members of the Defense Force believe, rightly or wrongly, that the organization has been the target of unfair criticism from politicians and the general public.

This includes comments from Taoiseach Simon Harris who, when asked about the Crotty affair on Tuesday, said: “There are people in the defense forces who clearly knew this was happening, why didn’t they do anything? These are very serious issues and as Taoiseach I am not satisfied about this, I am not satisfied at all.

( Natasha O’Brien did not go to court to hear Cathal Crotty’s guilty plea )

Senior officers say Harris is treating the military as a scapegoat, while the judge who actually handed down the suspended sentence largely escapes political criticism. Judge Tom O’Donnell described the soldier’s attack on Natasha O’Brien as “utterly appalling” but spared her a prison sentence.

Crotty is still technically a member of the Defense Force. Indeed, the organization’s disciplinary procedures are governed by regulations.

These regulations are decided by the Dáil rather than the generals, the officers point out. In addition, the military leadership has for years called for increased powers to remove those convicted of crimes earlier. These calls have largely fallen on deaf ears.

“If they want us to root out the Crottys, they need to give us the legislative powers to do so,” a senior officer said.

There is also discontent within the military leadership over accusations, aired in the Dáil on Tuesday, that the Defense Force does not know how many of its members have criminal convictions.

That’s inaccurate, officers say. Information on convictions is regularly collected, but it is kept at brigade level rather than headquarters. There is currently an ongoing process to bring all of this data together in one place.

Finally, public comments regarding the appearance of Crotty’s commanding officer, Commander Paul Togher, at the sentencing hearing have caused considerable consternation within the Defence Force.

Togher told the court Crotty was an “exemplary”, “courteous”, “professional” and “disciplined” soldier.

It is easy to see how this was interpreted by the public as a senior officer referring to the commendable character of a violent offender.

In fact, Togher was required under military law to be present and give a summary of Crotty’s service record if asked. Words like “exemplary” and “professional” are simply HR terms, military sources said, and not an endorsement by staff.

The Commissioned Officers Representative Association said Togher had been “vilified” on social media for simply following regulations.

However, while military leadership has a right to feel aggrieved by some of the public and political comments surrounding Crotty, they still have questions to answer about the organization’s treatment of women and its approach to offenders. violent in the ranks.

( Defense forces and justice services told to withdraw from Pride parades after Cathal Crotty’s sentence is suspended )

In particular, he will have to explain why David O’Gorman, a non-commissioned officer in the naval service, is still an active member, a year after admitting to a violent attack on a former girlfriend that left him with one eye permanently displaced.

Many more damning allegations are sure to emerge at the newly formed tribunal. The hearings are expected to last up to three years, meaning the Defense Force has by no means weathered this storm.