Member's statement: Character References: Sexual Assault Cases
Member's statement by Mr Eóin Tennyson on .
- MLA
- Mr Eóin Tennyson
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 27 January 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Character References: Sexual Assault Cases
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4758637
Read the official Assembly record
Text
It is with genuine regret that I rise to address the issue of providing good character references in cases involving serious sexual offences, after it emerged over the weekend that Councillor Brian Tierney of the SDLP provided a reference for Kielan Mooney, a man convicted of rape at the Central Criminal Court in Dublin. The provision of such references adds an additional layer of distress for any victim in any case, but when an elected representative is involved, that hurt is compounded not only for the victim in question but for all victims in our society. Just because a man is seen to be of good standing, just because he is a sportsperson, is active in the community or has a successful career, does not mean that he is not capable of abuse. All of us in the Chamber have spoken about our genuine desire to tackle violence against women and girls. Therefore, it is incumbent on us, as elected representatives, and on political parties, to lead by example and to act. Serious questions have therefore been raised for the SDLP and for Councillor Tierney. Given that the charge was rape, how could he possibly not have been aware of the seriousness of the allegations? Why has he not been suspended, and why has there been no mention of sanction or disciplinary action in SDLP statements over the weekend? Leadership is not simply about how we respond to these issues when they appear in other parties but how we respond when they befall our own. Victims deserve accountability and to see this issue treated seriously. It is difficult to fathom how Mr Tierney can remain an elected representative. He and his party ought to be considering his position. I gently ask the leader of the Opposition and the leader of the SDLP to reflect, to be consistent based on the demands that they have made of other parties and to take the appropriate action in the interest of the victims concerned.
331 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.21 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.94).
- Subject area: Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.11 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.04 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.07 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.18 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.44 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.21 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.94 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.06 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.65 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.34 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:46 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
Classifications can be challenged. A person reads every challenge, and any change is recorded publicly above with its reason.