White Flower Day: Thousands across the country
Dublin held the largest of a series of nationwide protests at the crisis which threatened to release some of the country’s most notorious sex offenders from prison.
Monica Rowe, a Dublin mother who inspired the protest in the capital after calling Gerry Ryan’s 2FM radio show earlier this week, said she was angry at the way the Government constantly dealt with crises by using “knee-jerk reactions”.
She cautioned concerned parents against demanding a “head on a plate”. However, to the largest round of applause of the day, she also urged them to “stay angry”.
The demonstration was held outside Leinster House where the Oireachtas was sitting to pass emergency legislation.
It was, in the words of One in Four director Colm O’Gorman, one of the most “astounding” weeks in Irish political life. The founder of the charity supporting victims of child sex abuse said he had never dreamt that such solidarity could be shown by ordinary people.
Large banners bearing simple slogans such as “Hang Your Heads in Shame” and “No More Cover-ups” were held aloft by dozens of protestors.
Another single placard reading “Grannies Against Rapists” left no doubt about the message to be conveyed to politicians a few metres away inside Leinster House.
One elderly man who tried to incite a large number of female protesters to climb over a barricade blocking their path to Dáil Éireann was quietly but firmly informed by one of the organisers that it was a peaceful demonstration.
A large photo of Justice Minister Michael McDowell held up by one demonstrator was roundly greeted with a chorus of jeers.
Many among the estimated crowd of 2,000 in Dublin stayed on outside Leinster House to hear a broadcast of Joe Duffy’s Liveline programme which featured the mother of Mr A’s victim — a woman called Jackie.
Although she had earlier indicated that she would attend the protest, Jackie cancelled her appearance to protect her daughter’s anonymity.
Up to 2,000 people protested carrying white flowers to symbolise the need to protect the innocence of children.
Similar demonstrations were also taking place in Galway, Limerick, Wexford, Tralee, Castlebar and Kilkenny.
Abuse victim Dermot Kelly, 55, from Lucan, Dublin, said the rally gave him the opportunity to speak out.
“I was abused physically and sexually from the age of six to 12 years and Iam still living with it every day of the week,” he said.
“I can never get away from it. It has affected my whole adult life, mymarriage, family, and work.
“The turnout today is fantastic. I am angry and sad that a man who raped alittle girl of 12 is free but I am hoping the Government will recognise how people feel and do something.”
In Ennis, Co Clare, meanwhile, white lilies and other flowers were laid at the closed blue doors of the courthouse by many of the 300 people who turned out to protest.
One of those present was broadcaster Ciana Campbell. She told the crowd: “Some people here are victims who are in tears and this re-awakens the experience, it brings it right back and I am here to tell those people that they are not forgotten.”
Sex abuse victim ‘Claire’ said: “I wake up every day and some days I have to fight to get up. I brought my case to court and it seems that nobody believed me and I got nowhere for it, it is not fair. The judiciary needs to re-assess themselves and see the victims first.”
Due to a mix-up, Limerick had two White Flower protest meetings yesterday, each attracting about 100 people.
Criminal lawyer John Devane addressed both demonstrations and recalled how he was raped at the age of eight.
He said: “I was the victim of a paedophile ring for six years and my mother did not believe me when I told her what was happening. When I went for counselling, I found the counsellor had not a clue. After the events of the past week, Bertie Ahern, Mary Harney and Michael McDowell should all resign.”
He said the courts were sending out the wrong message on the issue of rape.
Majella Ryan, national clinical director of CARI, spoke of her outrage at the events of the past week.
She said she was also concerned at the implications of the new legislation passed through the Oireachtas yesterday to deal with men who rape young girls.
“Now under our adversarial system a child will be open to grilled in court in cross examination. This is expecting an awful lot of a very traumatised child,” she said.
Rachel Dickinson, a grandmother of seven, said the fallout from the Supreme Court decision was a disgrace.
She said: “I was very angered when Mary Harney in the Dáil referred to a 12-year-old child as a young woman. I hope the legislation tightens up the laws that protect children. It is unspeakable what abused children are going through.”
In Galway, dozens of white flowers were laid in Eyre Square as over 100 people took part in a protest hosted by the Galway Rape Crisis Centre. Kate Mulkerrins of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland told the gathering: “The message to all these people is that we have not forgotten.”
The protest over the rape legislation crisis was supported by three of Galway city’s 15 councillors, Cllr Niall Ó Brolcháin (Green Party), Cllr Padraig Conneely (FG) and Cllr Daniel Callanan (Sinn Féin).
Close to 200 people attended a rally in Wexford town centre where John Barrett, of the South-East Second Chance Organisation, spoke angrily at the prospect of young victims having to face the ordeal of cross-examination in court under new legislation.
