▁Thor pe ▁rejected ▁any ▁responsibility ▁for ▁these ▁matters . ▁In ▁mid - M arch ▁ 1 9 6 5 ▁Jos iffe ▁wrote ▁a ▁long ▁letter ▁to ▁Thor pe ' s ▁mother , ▁which ▁began : ▁" For ▁the ▁last ▁five ▁years , ▁as ▁you ▁probably ▁know , ▁Jer emy ▁and ▁I ▁have ▁had ▁a ▁hom osex ual ▁relationship ." ▁The ▁letter ▁bl amed ▁Thor pe ▁for ▁aw ak ening ▁" this ▁vice ▁that ▁lies ▁lat ent ▁in ▁every ▁man ", ▁and ▁accused ▁him ▁of ▁call ous ness ▁and ▁dis loy alty . ▁Urs ula ▁Thor pe ▁gave ▁the ▁letter ▁to ▁her ▁son , ▁who ▁draft ed ▁a ▁quasi - legal ▁statement ▁reject ing ▁the ▁" dam aging ▁and ▁ground less ▁accus ations " ▁and ▁acc using ▁Jos iffe ▁of ▁attempting ▁to ▁black mail ▁him . ▁The ▁document ▁was ▁never ▁sent ; ▁instead , ▁Thor pe ▁turned ▁to ▁B ess ell ▁for ▁advice . ▁ ▁B ess ell , ▁anxious ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁service ▁to ▁his ▁party ' s ▁highest - profile ▁figure , ▁fle w ▁to ▁Dublin ▁in ▁April ▁ 1 9 6 5 . ▁He ▁found ▁that ▁Jos iffe ▁was ▁being ▁ad vised ▁by ▁a ▁sympath etic ▁Jes uit ▁priest , ▁Father ▁S weet man , ▁who ▁believed ▁that ▁at ▁least ▁some ▁of ▁Jos iffe ' s ▁alleg ations ▁might ▁be ▁true ; ▁otherwise , ▁he ▁asked ▁B ess ell , ▁why ▁had ▁he ▁flow n ▁all ▁the ▁way ▁from ▁London ▁to ▁deal ▁with ▁them ? ▁B ess ell ▁war ned ▁Jos