Family of woman abused in Aras Attracta condemn threats

The family of one of the women seen being kicked and threatened by nurses at Aras Attracta has hit out at the alleged death threats and online abuse aimed at the perpetrators, insisting they “abhor violence in every shape or form” and will not support “mob rule”.

Sheila Ryan, Kathleen Healy, John Paul, and Patrick Gavin — whose 65-year-old relative Mary Garvan was videoed being subjected to the attacks in an RTÉ exposé — called for the public to allow the authorities to do their job, saying it is the only way real improvements can take place.

In a statement to RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke programme, the family said they understood why the rest of the population has mirrored their personal anger over the events, but stressed “mob rule” cannot take over.

“We want due process. We want the the inquiries that have been instigated to proceed. This includes a Garda investigation. We want the people on suspension to be allowed due process and the opportunity of telling their side of the story and explaining their actions. They must be given time and space to do that,” the statement read.

“Under no circumstances do we want mob rule. We abhor violence in every shape or form.

“Everyone is innocent until proven guilty and we want all the people on suspension to be afforded the time and space to tell their story and explain their actions.

“Finally, and very importantly, our thoughts and prayers are with all of these people now on suspension. They have families and relatives too, and we know they are all suffering. We want them treated humanely and with respect and the Garvan family believe in forgiveness as a way forward.”

The stance followed the HSE director general, Tony O’Brien, noting on Wednesday that a person implicated in the Baby P abuse case in the UK recently avoided prosecution due in part to being unable to receive a fair trial. It also came as it was claimed some of the 11 workers involved in the Áras Attracta abuse — who have been placed “off duty” pending two HSE inquiries and a Garda investigation — have suffered death threats.

They include a clinical nurse manager, four fully trained nurses — three of whom are on the intellectual disability nursing register —and six care assistants, two of whom are agency workers. All are still on their respective payrolls.

Facebook pages have also been set up to criticise the individuals, with some providing details of the alleged perpetrators locations, and in one case the name of a pub one of their sons frequents.

Local resident Michael Griffin, who has worked with Áras Attracta to bring residents on excursions, said he was pleased to hear the Garvans comments as — despite their faces being blurred on Prime Time — “everyone” in the area knows who the individuals are.

“We know all the people involved,” he said.

“It is a small, tight community. They would have been seen as ordinary, decent, hardworking people. We want to see people punished, but we don’t agree with mob rule. Social networks give licence to thugs to go around and intimidate.”