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Dana Rosemary Scallon is sued by niece and sister in ongoing family dispute

Niece alleges she was abused by brother of presidential candidate

CATHAL DERVAN,

IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

Published Sunday, December 4, 2011, 7:54 AM

Updated Sunday, December 4, 2011, 8:56 AM

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Dana Rosemary Scallon

Failed Presidential candidate Dana Rosemary Scallon is being sued by her American-based sister and niece in the ongoing family row.

Susan Gorrell, who claims she was sexually abused by Dana’s brother John Brown, has begun proceedings along with her mother Susan Stein, Dana’s sister.

The pair are taking legal action against the former singer over allegations she made in a controversial interview with the Irish television station TV3.

They served a plenary summons on Dana on Friday and hope to get the case to Dublin’s High Court as early as May.

Gorrell, now a successful movie producer resident in Iowa, alleges that she was abused by her uncle Brown between the ages of five and 13.

The allegations first came to light when Dana made an unexpected outburst at the end of a televised presidential election debate.

The Eurovision winner attacked "the vile allegations made against members of my family."

She said: “It has come to my attention that yet further allegations, this time of a most untrue and malicious vile nature, have been leveled against a member of my family.”

Scallon then repeated the remarks during another interview with TV3 reporter Ursula Halligan.

Hours before the interview was broadcast, American lawyers acting on behalf of Gorrell, warned the station that their client stood over the allegations and would take legal action if it went ahead.

Not alone did the station proceed with the interview, an extended version of it is still available on the TV3 website according to a report in the Sunday Independent.
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Now resident in London, Brown then withdrew from his role as Dana’s election agent.

The 42-year-old Gorrell is the co-owner of Rell Productions and co-produced A Million Spokes, the award-winning documentary on a seven-day bike ride across Iowa with her husband, Ken Gorrell who won an Emmy in 2008 for his work on the HBO mini-series 'John Adams.'

TV3 made no comment on the story when contacted by the Sunday Independent.

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IrelandNorth | Dec 05, 2011, 06:31 AM EST

CATHOLICABUSESURVORSNI.COM--- Take it up with your psychiatrist. You're beginning to piss people off with your relentless rants. Grow up and take responsibility for your present, through which you can renegotiate your past and plan for a better future. There's no future in the past

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Newrone | Dec 04, 2011, 08:42 PM EST

Still trying to figure out what Dana herself is actually being sued for! Allegations denying allegations..?

Or an attempt to give the alleged allegations a bit more media value?

Whatever the truth or the motivation behind it, this particular tack could well backfire on Gorrell.

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SGpershing | Dec 04, 2011, 04:45 PM EST

Your statement is completely untrue. If only teachers and medical personnel are required to report child abuse, then perhaps you can explain why the coaches involved in the abuse scandals in the US right now are being fired for knowing and/or witnessing abuse acts and not saying anything? Anyone that is aware of any sort of child abuse should report the actions, regardless. It's a matter of moral duty. And by the way, according to previous articles, she has already pressed charges against the abuser.

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mreinhar2001 | Dec 04, 2011, 03:16 PM EST

In the U.S., she would have been protected by freedom of speech. She never named names and so did not slander anyone.cuddlybuddly may have disagreed with what Dana did or did not say, but that is not a crime. Only teachers and medical personnel are required to report child abuse. If this actually makes it to the first day of trial, I will continue to be glad my family left Ireland for the U.S. At least American laws make some sense. The 45 year old "girl" should be going after her suspected abuser rather than making fodder for the confessional or her next movie project.

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cuddlybuddly | Dec 04, 2011, 10:48 AM EST

Well what kind of Aunt would go against a child between 5 and 13 years old trying to tell her she was sexually abused by her brother? what is Vile is the child was not believed and Dana is more or less calling a child a liar!!I'm glad She is grown up now and taking things into her own hands...I Wish Susan Gorrell all the best and find it just mind boggling that someone like Dana could protect an 'alleged' child abuser

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Springfield9 | Dec 04, 2011, 10:24 AM EST

American Lawyers are vermin. They spend all day looking for something rotting to consume. I'm not surprised the "Ambulance Chasers" are on a reamark like rats at a cheesefest. "Vile aleegations" - hmmmmm - vile is a charachterization and since nothing has been proven they ARE allegations. I'm sure that Hell is SRO for Lawyers.

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