Simon Harris has said it was important to emphasise the effect that online threats have had on his family, and that such behaviour should not be “consequence free”.
Two individuals have recently received prison sentences for sending threatening messages targeting Mr Harris and his family, reports Breaking News.
The Tánaiste and Finance Minister said that over several months last year, his family faced “a sustained pattern of very elevated and violent commentary”.
He added that his main concern was that such messages could “inspire people to carry out acts against other people”, reports Breaking News.
Mr Harris explained that he chose to submit a victim impact statement to the court in one of the cases to highlight how the threats affected his family, stressing that they should not go “consequence free”.
“It’s not an easy one to do when you’re a public figure,” he said in an interview on Newstalk radio, reports Breaking News.
“Quite frankly, it’s something the guards asked me to consider, as they’d ask anyone, to make a victim impact statement. You have a right to go to court and address the court.
“All of us in public life, all of us in public view, can, from time to time, experience online nastiness and the likes.
“What my family experienced was at a level like I’d never experienced before,” reports Breaking News.
He reflected on the seriousness of the threats: “And I just wanted to pose to the person – and I don’t wish anybody any ill – but I wanted to pose to the person a few questions as to what actually goes through your mind when you sit at home behind a computer screen and threaten to do very significant harm to my children or to my family?
“I did just think it needed to be called out, not just for me and not just for my children and my family, but more broadly, I think sometimes when we talk about online, we talk about it as though it’s some sort of separate world over there where anything goes,
“The oxygen is sucked out of your home when you’re sitting there on a Friday evening and you receive a credible threat to carry out very significant physical harm to your children, and these things can’t be consequence free,” reports Breaking News.
He said he now avoids posting “obviously visible” pictures of his son and daughter on social media, partly due to concerns over the AI chatbot Grok.
He explained that he and his wife, Caoimhe, try to protect their children, but that young people are perceptive when “there’s something up”.
“Children are very perceptive and if there’s bomb threats to your home, as we’ve had, and there’s Garda sniffer dogs wandering around your home, you know, they’re aware there’s something up,” reports Breaking News.
Mr Harris said he has moved on from the threats affecting his political ambitions.
“I’m more energised and more focused than I’ve ever been. I’ve a lot of work to do.
“And you know, at the end of the day, I believe in public service. I passionately believe in public service,” reports Breaking News.
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