Actions speak louder than Words

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) welcomes the responses from the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald and the Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter to the publication of the Cloyne Report.

Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop, Chief Executive of the DRCC said: “The people calling the Helplines over the past 24 hours have been distraught at the continuation of the cavalier attitude towards the lack of action taken when victims and their families reported the crime of child sex abuse, as was evidenced in the Cloyne Report. There were over 300 calls made to the Helplines that are available for victims of sex abuse and their families and close friends, from the time of the launch to 8am this morning.
The courage that is needed to report such a crime, is huge on the part of the victim and their families and they must be supported and responded to appropriately and adequately when they come forward. The new legislation that Minister Shatter is preparing to strengthen child protection is very welcome and will go a long way to ensuring that the perpetrators and those who collude in continuing to keep the crime secret, will be punished appropriately. Minister Fitzgerald will be placing the revised Children First National Guidelines on a statutory basis. This will ensure greater protection for our children. The promised referendum to include the rights of the child in the Constitution will certainly complete the actions that are so necessary to stem the repetition of child sex abuse that we have witnessed each time a new report is published.”

The HSE Helpdesk Helpline No:  1 800 742 800 (8am -12 midnight)
DRCC National 24 Hour Helpline 1 800 77 8888

ENDS