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Press Release on Madelyne Gorman Toogood affair
Press Release
Irish Traveller Movement response to the Madelyne Gorman Toogood affair
Tuesday September 24 2002th
The Irish Traveller Movement (ITM) would like to clarify our position on the highly publicised incident in Mishawaka, Indiana. The incident in which Madelyne Gorman Toogood was caught on CCTV allegedly beating her four year-old daughter Martha. While we condemn any parent beating a child we believe there has been a considerable over-reaction to this incident in both the US and European Media.
Traveller parents like those in the settled community try to raise their children in the best way possible. While this behaviour is certainly not culturally acceptable or indeed the norm in the Irish Traveller communities in Europe or the US, we recognise that there are different levels of parenting in every community.
Thomas McCann, Equality Worker, with ITM expressed concerns around the unsympathetic portrayal of the Traveller Community in media reports across the US and hopes that her background and culture will not interfere with justice and objectivity.
For further information on Irish Travellers please visit our website www.itmtrav.ie and use the links to find further in formation on Traveller issues, history and culture.