Irish gay poet's sexcapades with minors shake Nepal

published by Asianpost on Thu, 02/14/2008 - 11:57

By Sudeshna Sarkar

Cathal O'Searcaigh is one of

Ireland's best known poets

Detectives in Ireland are said to be contacting Nepalese authorities over a growing scandal about a top Irish poet's sexcapades in the Himalayan nation with underage boys.

Cathal O'Searcaigh, 52, who is one of Ireland's best known poets whose poems are taught in schools, has been accused by a filmmaker he befriended of having sex with under-16 boys in Nepal.

The openly gay poet was introduced to Nepal's cultural circle about five years ago by expatriate Indian poet in Kathmandu, Ram Doss Sharma, who also translated the Irish poet's poems into Nepali.

O'Searcaigh, who calls Nepal his "spiritual home" and adopted a Nepali teen, Prem, more than a decade ago, is a frequent traveller to Nepal where he was said to be funding the education of some Nepali boys.

The controversy erupted after he invited filmmaker Neasa Ni Chianain to Nepal to make a documentary on him.

Though the film "Fairytale of Kathmandu", which is to be screened at the Dublin International Film Festival Feb 18 and 21, is said to be free of any allegations, Ni Chianain said that during the shooting, she was shocked by some of the things she saw.

For example, a young boy reportedly said he was asked to leave O'Searcaigh's room "because he could not complete the sex".

A fuming O'Searcaigh said he had done nothing wrong.

"I wasn't coercing them into having sex," he said. "The door was open all the time."
The report comes after mounting allegations that Nepal, after Thailand and Cambodia, is becoming a haven for paedophiles from western countries who lure young children with money and gifts.

Fiona Neary, director of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland, said the Irish should see the film to "more fully understand the kind of sexual exploitation perpetrated by the Irish abroad".
"You sit there knowing, this is not right," she said. "O'Searcaigh does not really acknowledge that his desire for sex is being met as well."