David Norris says he made a "human error" A gay contender for the Irish presidency has pulled out of the race after controversy over a letter of support for a former partner who was convicted of raping a 15-year-old boy. Three of Irish senator David Norris' supporters have formally withdrawn their support and the former frontrunner for the role has taken himself out of contention. If elected, he would have become the world’s first openly gay head of state. Norris has told the Irish Times he made a "human error" when he wrote a letter on Seanad-headed paper asking the Israeli authorities to show clemency towards his former partner. He had an almost 30-year relationship with Ezra Yizhak Nawi and the pair remained together for four years after Nawi was convicted in 1997 of the statutory rape of the Palestinian 15-year-old. "I deeply regret the most recent of all the controversies concerning my former partner of 25 years ago, Ezra Yitzhak Nawi," Norris says. "The fallout from his disgraceful behaviour has now spread to me and is in danger of contaminating others close to me both in political and personal life. "It is essential that I act decisively now to halt this negative process. I do not regret supporting and seeking clemency for a friend, but I do regret giving the impression that I did not have sufficient compassion for the victim of Ezra’s crime. "I accept that more than a decade and a half later when I have now reviewed the issue, and am not emotionally involved, when I am not afraid that Ezra might take his own life, I see that I was wrong. He served his time and never offended again. "Yes, his actions were terrible, but my motivation to write the letter was out of love and concern. I was eager to support someone who has been very important and continues to be important in my life. "It is very sad that in trying to help a person I loved dearly, I made a human error."
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 3rd August 2011 - 12:27pm