Suzanne Harrington: Bravo Nora Hegarty for handing the shame of rape back to the abuser
Suzanne Harrington: The action of Nora Hegarty offers hope to all those still locked in their own private prisons
When Nora Hegarty allowed her identity to become public so that everyone would hear about the sexual abuse she endured daily as a child, it was for a specific reason. Not revenge, but transference. A handing over of the shame and hurt she had been carrying since childhood. She handed it back.
Imagine the weight of that shame and hurt, and imagine the feeling of letting it go. Imagine the liberation of finally handing it back to the man who caused it, rather than being its silent carrier. What a relief that must be. And what a flare of hope for others still shouldering their own awful load.
