DRCC demands the full Implementation of The Healing Process: Acknowledgment, Apology, Reparation, Provision, Protection and Prevention

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre welcomes the publication of the Murphy Report and demands that the healing process be implemented in full. The publications of the investigations indicates the first step in the healing process for the victims and survivors of sexual abuse

Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop, Chief Executive, DRCC, said “With the publication of the Murphy Report we see another acknowledgment of the abject failure of our society to take care of our children, yet again. We see how power corrupts and how absolute power corrupts absolutely. We saw in the Ryan report how the State failed our children and we see in the Murphy report how the church continued a cycle of abuse through secrecy, avoidance of scandal, protection of its reputation and preservation of its assets.

We now have the opportunity with all the information we have as a result of both the Murphy and the Ryan Reports, to ensure that these atrocities never happen again. However let us not be under any illusion that these atrocities have gone away. They have not. Our services were never in such demand. Over 10,000 people phoned the 24 hour national helpline operated from the DRCC last year. We are seeing an increase in this number for 2009. We need only read our papers and listen to our news every day to know that children and the most vulnerable in our society are still being abused and taken advantage of in our society today.

For the survivors and the victims of clerical sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Dublin, today is a welcome day and a day that has taken a very long time to arrive. Their courage and tenacity must be applauded. The abuse that was visited upon them as innocent children and vulnerable adults at last is being publicly acknowledged. For the healing process to reach its conclusion, time will play a big part. But it has to be a proactive time and the process must include, as well as the public acknowledgment, which we have today, there has to be sincere apologies from all quarters and not just from Archbishop Martin. Reparation must be made and policies and procedures put in place to ensure that these atrocities do not happen again. It is not enough to have Guidelines for Child Protection anymore we must put Child Protection on a Statutory Basis. We must ensure that our schools have age appropriate programmes in place and that our teachers and educators are properly trained and can deliver the programmes.

Minister Barry Andrews delivered an excellent implementation plan on the foot of the Ryan Report. Let us now see this plan put into action.”

The following is a full list of the support groups:

DRCC’s National 24 Hour Helpline – 1 800 77 88 88
HSE National Counselling Service Help Desk – 1 800 670 700
Faoiseamh – 1 800 331 234 (UK and NI) 00 8000 973 272
Connect – 1 800 477 477 (UK and NI) 00 8000 477 477 77
Samaritans – 1 850 60 90 90
One in Four – (01) 662 4070

For further information please contact:
Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop, CEO, DRCC – 01 661 4911 / 086 809 9618