An investigation is currently underway by the Gardaí following a deliberate act of vandalism on a car owned by State Minister Mary Butler. The incident took place in the Barker Street region of Waterford City on a recent Friday. The act of sabotage was uncovered at approximately 1pm, though the car was parked around 11am. One of the tyres on the minister’s car was found to have been lacerated, potentially with a sharp object like a knife or a screwdriver, interestingly, no other vehicles in the vicinity were damaged.
Minister Butler, who also oversees Mental Health and Older People, had parked her car at Barker Street in order to attend an event on nearby O’Connell Street. The minister, a cancer survivor, was delivering a speech at the National Women’s Day function advocating against racism.
The incident is being probed by the Gardaí who are currently examining CCTV footage from the scene. Police sources have gone on record to confirm that it’s suspected that the car was targeted due to its owner’s identity.
Minister Butler has been subjected to harsh criticism in the past. A fraudulent Facebook page under her name spurred her to suspend her Facebook account. The page was part of what she refers to as a “co-ordinated online hate and harassment campaign”. The false ‘Mary Butler TD’ Facebook page was used to endorse and make light of various comments on other legitimate pages according to the minister’s statement, which she believes was intended to present her as unsympathetic to child abuse victims. Even though the contentious account has been removed by Facebook following her report, screenshots of the account’s activities remain prevalent on social media.
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