Victims must be kept informed of criminals’ release, demands centre

GARDAÍ have formally started notifying victims of convicted sex abuser Derry O’Rourke of his release from prison tomorrow — even though many victims already learned of his release through the media over the weekend.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is now calling for a liaison scheme to be established by the Government to inform victims of crimes of any developments in legal cases affecting them.

Questions put to the gardaí about O’Rourke’s release by the Irish Examiner on Monday were referred on to the Department of Justice and Law Reform, who in turn referred them to the Irish Prison Service.

The prison service confirmed gardai were informed O’Rourke, a former national swimming coach who was convicted on numerous rape and indecent assault charges in 1998, 2000 and 2005, was to walk free from the Midlands Prison this week.

Yesterday, a garda spokesperson said they were informed of the release and were “in the process of notifying all those concerned”.

The spokesperson wouldn’t comment on when that notification process began, or when gardaí were themselves informed of O’Rourke’s release.

It’s understood the convicted sex offender will be under post-release supervision for up to eight years, with the result that the probation service will be able to ensure he’s complying with the terms of his release.

Complaints in recent days have focused on the lack of information on his release provided to his victims.

Currently, no state agency has legal responsibility to notify victims of such a release. Victims are asked to tell the service, when a perpetrator is convicted and sentenced, that they want to be kept informed of the persons’s movements.

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre chief executive Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop said that the last thing on victims’ minds at such times is a future release date for somebody they’ve just seen sent to prison. “They just want to get on with the rest of their lives,” she said yesterday.

She called on the government to set up an information system, preferably with a garda as liaison officer, for victims to ensure that they are informed of a release well in advance of it occurring.

The DRCC operates a 24-hour helpline for victims of rape and sexual abuse (1800-778888) and dozens of calls were made last Friday and Saturday after The Late Late Show appearance of Cynthia Owen, who gave birth to a baby girl in 1973 at age 11 and then saw her baby stabbed to death.