59 - A Miscarriage of Justice: Nora Wall

Update: 2020-01-19

Description

In 1996, former nun with the Sisters of Mercy Nora Wall was accused of rape by a girl who had formerly been in her care at a group home in Cappoquin, Co Waterford. Alongside her, a homeless man, Paul "Pablo" McCabe, who had once been resident at the same institution was also implicated.

The two went to trial, but the affair would later be declared a miscarriage of justice.

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Theme Music:

Quinn’s Song: The Dance Begins Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

Additional Music: Allemande (Sting) by Wahneta Meixsell. Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Sources:

Brendan Farrelly and Aideen Sheehan, “Ex-nun helped man in brutal sex attack on girl” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/exnun-helped-man-in-brutal-sex-attack-on-girl-26146877.html (11 June 1999)

Aideen Sheehan, “Tears of relief as jury finds victim was no liar” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/tears-of-relief-as-jury-finds-victim-was-no-liar-26146883.html (11 June 1999)

Aideen Sheehan and Jerome Reilly, “The Sister of No Mercy” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/the-sister-of-no-mercy-26146982.html (12 June 1999)

Sean O'Driscoll, “Silence in court as ex-nun is convicted” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/silence-in-court-as-exnun-is-convicted-26259703.html (13 June 1999)

Geraldine Collins, “Rapist nun was sacked from job by Order” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rapist-nun-was-sacked-from-job-by-order-26146991.html (12 June 1999)

“Sr Dominic's victim speaks out” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/sr-dominics-victim-speaks-out-26259699.html (13 June 1999)

“Rape victim says she intends to sue nuns and the State” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rape-victim-says-she-intends-to-sue-nuns-and-the-state-26147097.html (14 June 1999)

Rita O'Reilly, “Ex-nun gets life for rape” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/exnun-gets-life-for-rape-26145053.html (24 July 1999)

Aideen Sheehan, “Life for the nun who raped a child” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/life-for-the-nun-who-raped-a-child-26145049.html (24 July 1999)

Aideen Sheehan, “Rapist nun will ask courts to free her today” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rapist-nun-will-ask-courts-to-free-her-today-26145406.html (27 July 1999)

Senan Moloney, “Judges quash former nun's rape conviction” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/judges-quash-former-nuns-rape-conviction-26145504.html (28 July 1999)

Kevin Moore, “Ex-nun caught on a legal see-saw” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/exnun-caught-on-a-legal-seesaw-26260363.html (1 August 1999)

“DPP may order retrial for freed rape case nun” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dpp-may-order-retrial-for-freed-rape-case-nun-26130670.html (2 November 1999)

Liz Allen "Retrial rules out for former nun in rape case debacle” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/retrial-ruled-out-for-former-nun-in-rape-case-debacle-26261712.html (14 November 1999)

Brian Dowling, “Errors that led to great legal debacle” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/errors-that-led-to-great-legal-debacle-26132401.html (18 November 1999)

Brian Dowling, “DPP will not seek rape case re-trial” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dpp-will-not-seek-rape-case-retrial-26132437.html (18 November 1999)

Kevin Moore, “Nora Wall desperate for a fresh start after her sentence of sham” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/nora-wall-desperate-for-a-fresh-start-after-her-sentence-of-shame-26261822.html (21 November 1999)

John Maddock and Aideen Sheehan, “Botched rape case nun us innocent, says DD” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/botched-rape-case-nun-is-innocent-says-dpp-26132894.html (23 November 1999)

Michael Sheridan, “'Pablo' may now find peace in anonymity” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/pablo-may-now-find-peace-in-anonymity-26228319.html (19 January 2003)

“DPP won't resist nun's challenge” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/dpp-wont-resist-nuns-challenge-26015090.html (4 February 2004)

John Maddock, “Declaration sought over rape case” in The Irish Independent https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/declaration-sought-over-rape-case-25976701.html (22 July 2005)

O'Brien, Breda. "Miscarriage of Justice: Paul McCabe and Nora Wall." Studies: An Irish Quarterly Review 95, no. 380 (2006): 355-64. Accessed January 13, 2020. jstor.org/stable/30095917.

D.P.P.-v- Nora Wall, [2005] IE CCA 140 (2005)

“DPP report on events relating to Wall and McCabe prosecution” in The Irish Times (18 November 1999) p. 8.

John Byrne, “Nora Wall” in Magill https://magill.ie/archive/nora-wall (7 December 2005)

Mary Carolan, “Ex-nun Nora Wall settles damages case for miscarriage of justice” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/ex-nun-nora-wall-settles-damages-case-for-miscarriage-of-justice-1.2645707 (12 May 2016)

The Ryan Report – Chapter 8: Cappoquin http://www.childabusecommission.ie/rpt/pdfs/CICA-VOL2-08.PDF (May 2009)

Alison Healy, “Nun criticised in abuse report identified as Nora Wall” in The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/news/nun-criticised-in-abuse-report-identified-as-nora-wall-1.771250 (27 May