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20th Jan 2022

Witnesses of indecent exposure incident during Ashling Murphy online vigil urged to contact Gardaí

Stephen Porzio

“It was very frightening for anyone that was on the Zoom meeting and caused great offence.”

People who witnessed an incident of indecent exposure during a recent online vigil for Ashling Murphy are being urged to contact Gardaí.

Last Sunday evening, a Zoom meeting was organised where panelists could share music, poetry and speeches in tribute to Ashling.

The panelists included Rosemarie Maughan, Christine O’Mahony, Emma Langford, Dr Aoife Granville, Kathy D’Arcy and Erin Darcy.

At one point during the call, however, a man hacked into the vigil with a username impersonating another woman on the call and appeared to masturbate.

He was visible to all participants and was quickly removed from the meeting where the vigil continued.

Speaking to Patricia Messinger on C103’s Cork Today Show, Sergeant Eimear O’Connell of Macroom Garda Station said that the organiser of the vigil reported the incident of indecent exposure.

She added that the incident is being investigated by the Cork West Divisional Protective Services Unit based in Dunmanway.

“It was very frightening for anyone that was on the Zoom meeting and caused great offence,” O’Connell told the programme.

“If anyone wants to make a report or complaint regarding what they saw or anything relating to the Zoom meeting, they can contact their local Garda station who will then forward on their details to the West Cork protective services unit that are based in Dunmanway.

“They will follow up and take a complaint from anyone that was on that Zoom meeting and found this material very offensive.

“Please make contact. I suppose the more people that make a complaint, it will make the case stronger going forward and someone might know something, a different bit of information, that would help the investigation.

“So, any information would be appreciated.”

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