Group aims to end rape’s ‘secrets and silence’

Sex abuse survivors have come together to demand urgent action be taken to combat the ‘epidemic’ of sex abuse in Ireland.

A grassroots network, fronted by high-profile survivors Fiona Doyle, Cynthia Owen, and the Kavanagh sisters, will hold a major conference today to mobilise their campaign.

The ANU Campaign for Truth, Rights and Justice is calling for:

- Victims to be treated as victims, not witnesses, in prosecutions;

- Compulsory education for judges to sensitise them about sex crime and its victims;

- Changes to the courts system, including pre-trial tours of courts for victims and separate seating in courts for victims and accused;

- End to inconsistent sentencing;

- Changes to the sanctioning of offenders, directed at addressing their behaviour as opposed to just locking them up.

The group also wants the media to stop demonising offenders as ‘monsters’, claiming it distances the public from the crime and distracts from the fact that offenders are “among us” as family members, friends and acquaintances.

At a press launch yesterday, Fiona Doyle said: “We are here to bare everything to make it easier for the next victim to come forward.”

There was a national outcry in January when Ms Doyle’s father was sentenced for abusing her as a child for more than a decade but was granted bail pending an appeal. Three days later, Mr Justice Paul Carney reversed his ruling and apologised to Ms Doyle.

“The nation got together and there was an outcry at my injustice,” said Ms Doyle. “I want to put the power behind that and get that for everybody.”

Ms Owen said: “I wanted to get involved in the campaign and see, if together, we can change, because on my own, nobody is listening.” She was repeatedly raped by her father, and became pregnant aged 11 in a case that was known as the Dalkey House of Horrors.

Her baby girl was stabbed to death on the day she was born — by Ms Owen’s mother, according to Ms Owen.

Paula Kavanagh, there with her sisters June and Joyce, all abused by their father, said: “The only way for abuse to survive is when there is secrets and silence.”

- ANU conference at the Camden Court Hotel, Dublin 2. See: anucampaign.org. National Rape Crisis Helpline: 1800 77 88 88.