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Psychologist tells tribunal she would never take part in deliberate defamation of Maurice McCabe

Summary

In July 2017, the Charleton Tribunal heard that HSE psychologist Laura Brophy had mistakenly included severe sexual abuse allegations in a 2013 report about Sgt Maurice McCabe, a garda whistle‑blower. The erroneous report mixed details from an unrelated investigation involving another garda's daughter, Ms D, and a woman named Ms Y, leading to allegations of "digital penetration" that were not applicable to McCabe. Brophy admitted the error, stating she had corrected it and changed her work practices to prevent recurrence. She also denied ever considering deliberate defamation of McCabe, describing such an act as catastrophic. The tribunal noted that while the incorrect allegations were amended, some erroneous claims, including a threat to kill Ms D's father, remained on garda records. The hearing also discussed procedural changes to child‑abuse reporting to avoid future mistakes. The tribunal resumed the next day.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Psychologist tells tribunal she would never take part in deliberate defamation of Maurice McCabe. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• May 2014 Other
• 2017-07-05 Publication

Why: Tribunal chairman Supreme Court Justice Peter Charleton said that at the time that Ms D first consulted with Ms Brophy, Sgt McCabe was under investigation because of a missing computer linked to a sexual abuse case. CNI source report

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Read the original CNI report