Police Culture, Gender and Crime in the Irish Free State

Abstract

Sexual crime in the Irish Free State was more than an issue of law, it carried ideological importance in a nation that legitimised itself as a beacon of Celtic Catholicism whilst struggling to maintain credibility in a contested post-colonial landscape. The nation’s police force, An Garda Síochána, had a central role in preserving the nation’s reputation for piety. This chapter explores the views of two of An Garda Síochána’s most senior officers regarding female sexuality and sexual crime; features that were to influence the level of protection and justice Ireland’s women and children were afforded under law.

Citation

Keating, A. (2017), "Police Culture, Gender and Crime in the Irish Free State", Environmental Criminology (Advances in Sustainability and Environmental Justice, Vol. 20), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 87-101. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2051-503020170000020006