Homeless Cork woman allegedly sexually abused by father told she can live with parents

The woman had not taken out a domestic violence order against her father and there was no conviction against him.

A Cork woman was told she did not qualify for emergency accommodation because she could live with her parents — even though she had left her family home several years earlier because her father had allegedly sexually abused her.

The woman became homeless for six months last year when she had to leave the property she was renting under the room-for-rent scheme for the previous seven years.

The woman, who is now aged in her 40s, left home as a teenager because of the alleged abuse she suffered.

She found it very difficult to find a new place to live after her eviction last year and could not secure emergency accommodation as she was not deemed to be homeless. 

She says she was told by the local authority in her area that she could go to live with her parents. 

However, because she had not taken out a domestic violence order against her father and there was no conviction against him for abuse of her, she says she was unable to prove that she could not move in with her parents. This is despite having reported the abuse to gardaí, who confirmed in writing for her that she had reported incidents on two occasions in the early 2000s. 

The letter, included in a series of documents pertaining to her application seen by the Irish Examiner, added: “Given the nature of the complaint, it is understandable alternative accommodation is sought by you at this time.” 

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She couch-surfed and lived in hostels during the six months she was homeless. Her application for emergency accommodation was closed earlier this year after she managed to find herself private rented accommodation.

She says that during the period of homelessness, she considered suicide.

She also says: “In Irish society there is a kind of assumption that everyone has family. Family supports and protects you, my family was a normal Irish family. But there was abuse, most of the abuse was directed at me by my father every type of abuse happened.” 

She adds: “Domestic abuse survivors cannot fully heal until we have homes, we are safe, we have a lock on our door. Everyone deserves that. It is a basic human right.”

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