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IT HAS BEEN 16 years since the first Savi – Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland – report was published in 2002. In light of just how much our understanding of sexual violence has changed since then, it’s high time we updated the State data and looked at the issue and the realities on the ground once more.
Breda Allen, in the opening words of the 2002 Savi report, stated that “this is a groundbreaking breaking study, the importance of which cannot be overestimated”.
These words have only grown truer in the past decade and a half, especially in light of recent developments in the #MeToo movement and the breaking of a powerful and shaming silence, allowing women to come forward and speak about the abuse of power and sexual harassment they have experienced.
The Rape Crisis Centre has reported an increase of 10% in the reporting of sex crimes in the past year.
This has led to a waiting list of up to six months in some cases. This is only part of the picture as we all know huge numbers of sex crimes go unreported.
There is now a pressing need for another Savi report to give us an accurate picture on the ground of the experiences of sexual violence of people in this country.
‘I am not alone’
People keep sharing their stories, baring their souls, prising themselves open for all to see.
They expose themselves to questions and judgments, and hope that no one pokes away at the emotional scars their sexual assaults have left them with.
I carried a shame that wasn’t mine for five years before I told anyone what happened to me and I waited another three before I went to the Rape Crisis Centre.
I am not alone. We must respond with urgency to level of support that is required in Ireland for survivors of abuse.
Some people may never be able to speak to another person about their experience of sexual assault, much less a garda. But just because someone cannot report does not mean they should be invisible.
A better understanding
We need a survey that goes into communities, that can reach survivors in their own surroundings and translate their experiences, their pain and their bravery in sharing that part of themselves into a better understanding of the realities of sexual violence.
We also need to better understand the barriers to accessing law enforcement, medical and therapeutic services for those abused and their families and how best the State can do better and respond to this need.
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan, in response to me this week, has said that he will bring a report to cabinet in the coming months.
The minister said that the group carrying out the scoping exercise was made up of experts and relevant Department officials and was chaired by Professor Dorothy Watson, associate research professor, ESRI, and adjunct professor of sociology at Trinity College Dublin.
I accept that any work undertaken in this area is worthwhile and needed. However, I feel very strongly about having a public element to the collection of data.
I have received hundreds of emails and messages from girls and women in the last three weeks. Some of the emails were extremely difficult to read. Their experiences must make up part of any government proposals or reports.
There are thousands of untold stories and, for those who want to share them, we must find a way to facilitate that in a caring and supportive way.
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You’d have to have sympathy for Theresa May in the whole scenario. She’s been left to sort out the whole mess while the main instigators have gone into hiding.
@Damo.f: i respect her, for sure, but have zero sympathy.
In addition to being an extremely honorable and well paid job (plus pension), she volunteered for this job in full knowledge of her own views, and the array of views about Brexit.
She will also not have to live with the potential consequences of her actions and mistakes, like the average person.
@Damo.f: sure she’s playing a game. She’s denying NI and Scotland European membership – its those you should have sympathy for.
UK: We are leaving the 29th of March OK??
EU: Ok.
UK: OK??
EU: Ok.
UK: OK??
EU: Ok.
UK: OK??
EU: Ok.
UK: OK??
EU: Ok.
UK: OK??
……………….
@Ooby Dooby: ‘Acknowledge my importance dammit’
….and the Horror Show continues :-(
Fair play to Coveney “This parliament will meet if it has to,”
@Aidan Dorney: Direct rule would brake the Good Friday Agreement, serious own goal in the making
@George O Neill: In the absence of a functioning government in Stormont, who should rule?
We love a drama in this country, there’s nothing crucial about tonight’s vote, it’ll be voted down and then there’ll be an extension, following that a possible general election and a possible referendum and ultimately the U.K. will vote themselves back into Europe with their tails between their legs. Germany 1 – United Kingdom 0. The brexiteers missed their golden opportunity last night to leave the EU and give the two fingers to the bloc.
@Eugene Doyle: unless the EU refuse to give them an extension, which I know is unlikely
@Eugene Doyle: I like your comment Eugene.
@Eugene Doyle: Just imagine all the “EU is a dictatorship” trolls if that happened!
Please,
Please,
Please,
Leave without a deal – then start dealing from a position of strength rather than the groveling tactics adopted so far.
@Beircheart Breathnach:
A position of strength ????
That’s deluded
@Beircheart Breathnach: They have zero leverage, no skilled negotiators and the US and Japan are already lining up to screw them. The ex colony and soon to be world superpower India will do them no favours. Apart from the likes of this, they’ll be grand
Honest question. Does this vote matter if the EU says no we already negotiated a deal, feck off.
@Ned Flanders: Good question.
It’s really just a precursor to the extension vote.
Unless they vote in favour of no-deal…. then it’s all over on the 29th.
The report that “Sinn Fein are having their say” gave me a good laugh. They have no place saying anything about this if they are not willing to participate in working on a solution i.e taking up their place in Westminster and getting their asses back into to Stormont.
@Seán Kinsella: yeah like their seven votes would have done so much to counter the loss by 150 votes.
@Seán Kinsella: I don’t vote Sinn Fein but I cannot for the life of me understand how people can consistently post comments like yours. When running for election they specifically tell the electorate they will not take up their seats. It’s part of their mandate. If they took up the seats they would be breaking an election promise. Don’t we have enough parties doing this?
@Niallers: could say the same for DUP
Be no shock if no deal is off the table after today. Brexiteers will pee themselves
Would it be too much of a stretch at this point to get a representive(s) from
The EU i.e Michel Barnier
The UK Parliament i.e Theresa May
The DUP i.e Arleen Foster
The Irish Government i.e Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar
and get into a f*cking room and sort this clusterf*ck once and for all. Stop the trips over to Brussels every 2 weeks and get to a decision between them.
@Ben Jamen: it is sorted except UK dup don’t like the result
@Ben Jamen: they, with the exception of Arlene, are not the problem. the problem is the large Brexiteer wing of the Tory party who are still stuck back in the heyday of empire
What is becoming blindingly clear every day is that the vast majority of MP’s and cabinet ministers have no idea how the current border works…you have the Government saying they’ll be no checks and a Secretary to the Treasurey saying that checks already exist??!! What checks? Where are they carried out? Its It’s unbelievable…..the British really are the definition of “cutting your nose off to spite your face”!!
Has anyone noticed the Irony of yesterdays vote, if the 75 Brexiteers had voted for the Deal they would have gotten Brexit passed without the Need of DUP votes. Looks like their vote has ruled any possibility of them getting a Brexit now, or a very Soft Brexit.
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/431B/production/_105997171_optimised-mv2_breakdown_chart-nc.png
**Correction** ‘ruled any possibility’ should have said ‘ruled out any possibility’ and the vote would have been 317 to 316, would have just passed by 1 vote if they had stuck with party vote.
@Fred Cahill: No it simply rejected a very bad deal, tonight’s vote is meaning less, Eu and UK law still states that they part company on 29th, with or without a deal.
@Larry Sneeg: The vote for No Deal Exit is going to fail tonight, the extension is going to pass tomorrow meaning UK is not leaving on the 29th. With the extension the only possibilities are a Soft Brexit by working with Labour, 2nd Referendum, or a General Election.
@Fred Cahill: if tomorrow’s vote passes then they have to ask the EU for an extension so there’s no guarantee. The EU will bluster about the point of this right up to midnight of the 28th but will more that likely give a short term extension in the hope that the Torys are turfed out, Labour get in and there’s more chance for a second referendum. I know Corbyn is ambivalent about the EU but I reckon he will cave to pressure to hold a second vote.
@Fred Cahill: the EU have to grant an extension, and with the EC elections coming up, the EC won’t want Farage back,
@Larry Sneeg: I can tell you the Majority of MEP’s do not give a hoot about Farage and whether his back or not. That fool is going to be ignored. They will grant a delay and UK will not be leaving on the 29th unless Theresa Mays Plan passes via a third vote. It could have all been taken care of last night if the Conservatives stuck together.
@David Guiney: They will grant a delay as there is too much to loose.
This is like watching a country play Russian roulette and knowing its gonna get very messy, very soon.
omg what a surprise another crucial Brexit vote … I cant wait … guffaw chortle.. sneer ..
No Brexit deal averted by FOUR votes!
A split tory party, parliament and country! It’s hard to see who is actually good enough the fix the place, drag them through Brexit and into success.
@Paul Furey: no that was an amendment to the main vote, which passed by about 50.
The amendment was that there would never be a no deal. The original was just taking no deal off the table until the deadline of Article 50.
So essentially they voted that they can never accept no deal.
But it doesn’t matter if they don’t do a deal with the EU none of that matters and they crash out.
What is “direct rule in Northern Ireland”?
@Peter: ruled from London
One brexit in the hand is worth 2 in the bush I always maintain
That vote was too close for comfort. But I for one am glad that a no deal brexit is off the table. That would be a disaster. Looks like we are heading for an extension to article 5o which was prematurely triggered in the first place in my opinion. I know people here in Ireland are sick of hearing about brexit but the impact it will have on Ireland if the right deal is not found is massive. And the worse thing is we have very little control of it, other than the same control that any of the other eu member states have which is ridiculous. Let’s hope we are not collateral damage in this mess.
This has to be one of the most dangerous comments I’ve heard from a UK politician during the whole Brexit debacle.
DUP voted against ruling out No Deal Brexit..
This complete shit show makes me so glad I moved back from the UK!
I’ll tell you how ready we are. I’m sure everyone agrees that second hand imports of cars are a huge part of the Irish car business. Rang NCT centre who register imports and are paid the VRT. They do not know if VAT will be payable as UK will no longer be in EU. There said ring revenue. Rang three different numbers and as well as no one knowing, I was passed onto other sections who did not know either. Told to ring NCT twice. NCT then said they do not know why revenue are saying to ring them. Ring your local tax office. Did. Told to contact t NVT
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