Peter Charleton sought answers on false sexual abuse allegation

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Mr Justice Peter Charleton sought answers at the Charleton tribunal on 6 July 2017 about a false sexual abuse allegation and how gardaí handled it. The tribunal was examining claims that allegations were used to undermine Sergeant Maurice McCabe.

Charleton said he needed to establish when gardaí recognised that incorrect information was a serious error, and how it travelled from Bailieboro garda station to senior officers in Sligo and Dublin. He also sought an explanation for a 2015 Tusla letter telling Sergeant McCabe that his children were at risk.

Counsel for the Garda Commissioner said the allegation was initially treated as new but was later recognised as a repeat of a 2006 matter requiring no further investigation. Fiona Ward said incorrect records had been sent to gardaí in error and that she asked for them to be returned for destruction.