No charges over 'God is a maniac' comment

Irish police have dropped their investigation into supposedly blasphemous remarks made by Stephen Fry.

News of the probe only became public this weekend, even though the complaint dates back to a 2015 TV show.

One viewer reported Fry’s controversial TV interview to the Gardai at the time, but was only recently contacted by a detective to say they were now looking into his complaint. The viewer was not said to be offended himself but believed Fry's comments qualified as blasphemy under the law.

Speaking to the Irish Independent newspaper, the man who had accused Fry now says the inquiry is over.

He said: ‘I did my civic duty in reporting it. The guards did their duty in investigating it. I am satisfied with the result.’

Some reports suggest the police could not find enough people who took offence at the comments, but the Gardai have not yet responded to Chortle’s request for comment.

Ireland only introduced its blasphemy law in 2009, and the offence carries a maximum fine of €25,000 (£22,000).

Fry shocked host Gay Byrne when he appeared on his show, The Meaning Of Life, to discuss faith.

The presenter asked atheist Fry what he might say to God if he was proved wrong when he arrived at the gates of heaven.

Rather than being contrite, Fry raged: 'How dare you create a world in which there is such misery? It's not right. It's utterly, utterly evil. Why should I respect a capricious, mean-minded, stupid god who creates a world which is so full of injustice and pain?'

He went on to say that 'the god who created this universe, if it was created by god, is quite clearly a maniac, an utter maniac, totally selfish. We have to spend our lives on our knees thanking him. What kind of god would do that?’

Fry’s case has prompted New Zealand's major political parties to commit to repealing the country's little-known blasphemy laws, which come with a maximum penalty of a year in jail.

Prime Minister Bill English said ‘we could get rid of’ the law, adding: ‘Laws that overreach on addressing robust speech are not a good idea.’

The New Zealand law was last used in  1922 – although the prosecution was not successful.

Published: 9 May 2017