Sexual abuse findings were not surprising
I am an Irishwoman living and working in the UK and a specialist who trains professionals on abuse of disabled people. I have known for 20 years that disabled people are four times more likely to be sexually abused.
I have done extensive training in Ireland on the abuse of learning disabled adults in two Irish organisations.
After raising concerns about the level of abuse in one institution, and expressing some concerns publicly, I had my contract to train revoked by both institutions. Ironically I wasn’t even concerned about the second institution.
It seems there was a willingness to employ me to train staff, but there was a taboo about openly discussing the serious issues.
What now concerns me is that both these institutions would rather not train staff than have a specialist such as myself on the premises if they are likely to speak out.
I was obviously wrong about Ireland being more open about sexual abuse issues.
What is more, the Western Health Board has spent six years investigating the sexual abuse of learning disabled people in their area and there is still no sign of that inquiry report. Might they be trying to bury it?
I have laboured long and hard to get the facts from this inquiry, but I have failed dismally. I wrote to the minister for health about my concerns three times. I phoned endlessly to speak with him, but I got no reply, other than a letter from his secretary acknowledging receipt of my letter.
It is my feeling that the minister does not want to know what is happening in the residences where learning disabled people are living.
Just another institutional abuse situation, another ‘headache.’ After all, these are ‘only’ learning disabled people.
It seems to me Ireland needs urgently to have adult protection policies and statutes in place as sex offenders do target vulnerable adult groups.
There is such legislation in the UK where all local authorities are mandated to have an adult protection officer and procedures to deal with allegations. There has to be recognition that adults are sexually abused.
Margaret Kennedy
Unit 13
Celia Fiennes House
8-20 Well Street
London E9 7PX
