Fiona and Kristel, we salute you

THANKS to a courageous mother and daughter this has been a landmark week in the long-running campaign for justice for Irish women.

We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Fiona Doyle and her daughter, Kristel O’Brien. They have transformed attitudes and refocused the public mind on the heinous and utterly unacceptable crime of rape.

Following the horrifying spectacle of seeing her guilty father, 72-year-old Patrick O’Brien, walk free from court, despite having raped her at least once a week for 10 years, Ms Doyle’s singular bravery evoked such an outcry that Mr Justice Paul Carney was compelled to reverse his original decision which, having also shed her anonymity, Kristel described as an injustice to her mother and to other abuse victims. The perpetrator is now behind bars pending an appeal.

As a fitting tribute to the courage of a brave woman and her daughter, this shocking case must lead swiftly to new guidelines for judges and realistic funding for volunteers who support victims of sex abuse.