Asylum seeker rape case raises security fears

An asylum seeker who raised the issue claimed there was not enough security in the centre and that the victim’s mother “had been complaining for a while” before she went to speak with gardaí.

He said the complaints mechanism within the asylum system was unsatisfactory.

“If you do anything like complaining that means straight away you are gone,” he said. “People do not want to move from one area to the other.”

The alleged incident is likely to spark fresh debate over the accommodation conditions of asylum seekers around the county and whether or not proper provision has been made for the safety and well-being of those living within the system.

Mayo Rape Crisis Centre director Ruth Mac Neely said there were “ongoing concerns about the particular vulnerability of this group of women and children to sexual violence”.

The company that operates the centre referred all queries to the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA).

The Department of Justice said it would not comment on individual cases, but a spokesman said: “All complaints concerning safety of residents are taken seriously by RIA and centre managers. Where any allegation of criminal activity is made, gardaí are contacted immediately.”

He added that RIA has a child protection policy.

Almost a year ago, the principal officer of the RIA, Noel Dowling, told an Oireachtas committee a new complaints mechanism would be introduced in January, and denied that complaints were suppressed or that residents who complained were frequently moved.

Concerns over conditions in some centres were raised last year after visits by the Joint Committee on Health and Children to centres in Monaghan and Mosney.

Earlier this summer, up to 200 asylum seekers protested outside Leinster House in a bid to raise concerns over the asylum process, claiming that many people had to wait up to six years for a decision on their status.