ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE SAVI REPORT ON SEXUAL ABUSE
ADDRESS BY PRESIDENT McALEESE ON THE OCCASION OF THE LAUNCH OF THE SAVI REPORT ON SEXUAL ABUSE AND VIOLENCE IN IRELAND
Tá áthas orm bheith anseo libh inniu. Míle bhuíochas díbh as an chuireadh agus as fáilte a bhí caoin, cneasta agus croíúil.
Good morning everyone. We gather here for the launch of an important and disturbing piece of research which opens a window on the grimness of the lives of some of our brother and sister citizens. It is encouraging to see so many people here - for the issues this report confronts us with are issues which need courageous and determined people to face in to them and to deal with them. So the fullness of this gathering is I hope, a reflection of the importance which our society attaches to finding answers to the questions provoked by sexual assault and violence. I would particularly like to thank the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and Chairperson, Ms Breda Allen, for inviting me to address you.
“Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland”, is the first national survey of this serious subject carried out in this country. It was commissioned by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre to establish the extent and nature of sexual abuse and rape in Ireland, to tell us the truth about a story that more often than not hides in the shadows and behind taboos. It focuses not only on the experiences of victims of such appalling crimes, but on the attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of the general public, and the barriers to assisting victims and their families. So it is much more than a means of increasing the level of public awareness and understanding of the incidence of sexual violence. It is not just about the recitation of statistics, compelling though they are but it is also about stretching our understanding so that we begin to comprehend more acutely the trauma experienced by the victim, the impact of proper treatment, recovery and counselling facilities, and our own role as members of a society in which opinions and beliefs have consequences which impact graphically on this subject.
Often the most damaging effects of sexual abuse and violence have little or no physical manifestations at all. They are carried in the psyche, in hearts and souls and minds robbed of peace of mind, drained of self-confidence and self-worth. They are carried in the oppressive silence that entraps too many victims and makes their lives a misery even many long years after the abuse has ceased. The damaging effects keep on doing damage. They make miserable, lives that could be and should be full of joy and fulfillment. They reduce life to mere existence and where the victims are children the far-reaching implications are as horrific as they are heart-breaking. Trusted adults who introduce children to evil, who betray the trust of parenthood, or coach, or teacher or priest or care-worker or babysitter, or neighbour, or relative, are little more than social terrorists insidiously desecrating the fabric of humanity and of society. They have cost all of us dearly. But little by little the story is changing and the silence is now broken by the courageous voices of victims telling us all of the story, not just the part traditionally explored by the criminal justice system. Historically that system largely concentrated on the factual accounts of abuse and violence with little or no serious exploration of how victims actually felt. Because there was so little space for victims to articulate their thinking and their feeling, precisely because it seemed to be deemed to be of so little consequence by such an important system, those voices were muted and doubly inhibited.
In recent years victim impact reports have begun to break that centuries old silence. But it takes huge courage to be the one to speak. There is a renewed vulnerability in it but there is too the opportunity for personal healing and for the kind of communal education that leads to effective responses. It is my sincere hope that those who helped in the compilation of this report by recounting their experiences will have found some personal comfort and closure in doing so and that there will be for them the vindication of knowing their insights are the stones we step on to get to a better, healthier society.
The findings in the report offer some harsh and deeply disturbing realities. The prevalence of abuse of boys and girls, men and women is shocking. On their own, the statistics are horrific; the level of re-victimisation of people who have experienced abuse - the fact that most child abuse takes place before the age of 12 - the extent of sexual violence against women by partners or ex-partners all make very disturbing reading. Yet another sad reality is that in 80% of abuse cases the perpetrator is known to the victim and so often they are in positions of trust.
Another grim reality highlighted is the role alcohol played in so many instances of abuse. It was a factor in almost half of the cases of sexual assault involving adults. It is also very distressing to see that those who experienced abuse were 8 times more likely to have needed in-patient care in a psychiatric hospital than those who hadn’t.
One particular aspect of the report that struck me was how many of those people who disclosed abuse to the researchers had not done so to anyone before – almost half overall and in the case of young men who were the victims of sexual violence some 60%! Clearly this breakthrough into what was previously an unknown dark figure of crime, is an indication of the professionally sensitive and caring manner in which the research was carried out but it also should make us wary indeed of any assumptions about the true incidence of abuse based on reported crimes.
Another important area highlighted in the report is the crucial role played by all the professionals and involved agencies including the Gardaí in ensuring that effective services are easily accessible to those who have experienced the trauma of sexual abuse. In this respect the counselling services of the Rape Crisis Centre have themselves played a huge part in supporting the victim, through the disclosure and legal processes to the fullest and deepest recovery possible.
I commend and thank everyone who responded to the survey for their generosity in sharing these important stories. I thank the researchers under the leadership of Professor Hannah McGee and her team for the sensitive and understanding way in which the survey was undertaken. The high response rate and the window that was opened wide on this dark area is a remarkable vindication of the values which imbued the conduct of the research.
I congratulate especially the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre which was instrumental in commissioning the report and organising this conference. It is really encouraging to see that the sponsors of the report include both the voluntary and statutory sectors. That partnership of endeavour is our best guarantee for a future in which we know the full story of sexual abuse and violence in Ireland and are well equipped to respond to the many issues and problems as well as the suffering it provokes.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has over the years been both an essential provider of services to victims of rape and sexual abuse and an educator of the public. At one level your work has changed the lives of very wounded individuals and at another it has changed the perspective and responses of many agencies and the public generally. Regrettably there is little sign that the pressures on the centre are likely to reduce. Day in and day out human beings make outrageous, selfish choices which deliberately inflict harm on others. Secrecy and silence are their greatest allies. The weaker the support for victims, the stronger are the bullies. But those days are now changing thanks to your work. The world is now rightly becoming a scary place for perpetrators as stories break through the deadening crust of taboo and fear and misguided protectionism. That thick crust developed over centuries would still be intact but for the weapon of the victim’s voice. That voice would still be silent but for your work. We owe you a lot.
My sincere congratulations and thanks to everyone associated with the production of this landmark report. Today’s conference offers an important opportunity to begin the discussion process on how best to progress the Report’s findings. I wish you well in your deliberations.
Go raibh maith agaibh go léir.