Enoch Burke’s mother and sister released from prison
By Bairbre Holmes, Press Association
Enoch Burke’s mother and sister have been released from Mountjoy Prison, two weeks after they were arrested.
A video of the two women leaving the Dublin city prison was posted on the former school teacher’s profile on the social media site X.
Martina, Burke’s mother, and Ammi, his sister, were sentenced to two weeks in jail for contempt of court in early March.
The Burke family have been engaged in a number of legal disputes arising from Burke’s dismissal from Wilson’s Hospital School in Co Westmeath.
In 2022, Enoch Burke was asked by the school’s then-principal to address a student by a new name and pronoun.
The Burke family has repeatedly argued that the direction was unconstitutional and went against Burke’s right to express his religious beliefs.
He has been imprisoned for more than 600 days over contempt of court relating to breaches of orders not to trespass at the school.
On March 4th, a High Court judge ordered the two women to be jailed for two weeks after finding them in contempt of court.
The charge was in relation to a hearing on February 20th, during which both women were removed from court by eight to 10 gardaí.
Judge Brian Cregan said the hearing “descended into chaos” when they interrupted proceedings.
He said: “They both knew full well that they had no right of audience and no right to speak, yet they persisted in standing up in court and shouting and roaring at the top of their voices.”
Defending her actions, Martina Burke told the court her son Enoch had been “denied his constitutional rights”, while Ammi Burke said she “won’t sit silently by while my brother’s constitutional rights are being denied”.
The judge said “it is clear” that the Burke family “believe that they are above the law”.
On March 31st, the two women were arrested at Castlerea Prison in Co Roscommon after visiting Enoch Burke.
In the video posted on X on Monday, Martina Burke described the treatment of her family as “disgraceful”.
Standing outside the prison with Ammi Burke and her husband Sean, she said her family would “continue to fight and stand up for the truth” and “won’t be silenced” by imprisonment.
