The recent ‘Leaving Neverland’ documentary on Channel 4 focused on two men who allege they were sexually abused as children by the famous singer Michael Jackson resulting in backlash against Jackson with some media outlets removing his music from their playlists. 

Garrison native and Dublin-based cosmetic doctor Patrick Treacy treated Michael Jackson while he was in Ireland and explains he met the singer when he was sent to him with a facial condition. 

 Dr Treacy admitted that he hasn’t seen the documentary yet, but he believes Jackson’s music should still be played but the public should be warned prior to it going on air. 

“I can see where everyone is coming from, taking action to censor an alleged paedophile is desirable in a society that regards sexual abuse to children as one of the worst types of crime.

“If there is a blanket ban, if affects other people – those who contributed to the music, and also the stories of the victims.”

 “If we stop listening to Michael Jackson, does that simply allow us to avoid something uncomfortable so we don’t have to think about the little boys and potentially what happened to them. 

“I think what we should do is play his music, but any time Michael Jackson or any other artist who has been involved in potential criminal activity the public should be made aware that he has been identified as whatever. 

“I think this is a more pragmatic approach to take instead of canning everything because there is potential that it may not be right,” he told RTE. 

Dr Treacy said that he did ‘discuss paedophilia with him on one or two occasions’ particularly when he wanted to visit some children in Crumlin Hospital while Dr Treacy worked there.  

“I wasn’t too keen to bring Michael in, and he got annoyed. He did turn around and say to me, ‘is it because you think I was a paedophile? And I had to be honest with him, I couldn’t pass judgement. The fact that I didn’t bring him in with me to Crumlin Hospital when he found out about the children did hurt him. 

“We did discuss paedophilia at that stage. I could not be in a position to defend him, whether he had paedophiliac tendencies or not.”