500 signatures reached
To: Irish Governement, Dept of Justice, Dept of Children & Youth Affairs.
Support Structures For Victims of Abuse
This petition is campaigning for free psychological support to be made available to victims after their court case ends.
The impact of abuse is lifelong.
Last year, a study from Trinity College Dublin and Maynooth University found that one in three people in Ireland experiences sexual violence, with 15% of adults being raped.
Waiting lists for post-trauma psychological support are up to 18 months in some services.
Funding to sexual violence support services increased by approx 25% from just under €4m in 2016 to €5m in 2019 and 2020 in recognition of the significant increase in demand. A 10% funding increase was also granted in 2019 to Rape Crisis Centre`s and sexual violence services to help tackle their long waiting lists.
Unfortunately this funding is not enough - victims of sexual violence deserve better care from the Irish State.
Why is this important?
Amy Barrett`s father, Jerry O'Keeffe, was jailed for 10 years in November 2017.
Jerry O Keeffe was charged with three charges of rape, five charges of indecent assault and one charge of sexual assault of his daughters on dates between January 1980 and March 1987.
The trial brought the horrors of the sexual abuse rushing back to Amy and with no professional services to help her deal with the aftershocks Amy found herself in a very dark place.
During the court case, the gardaí, her solicitors and the court service supported her and guided her through until her father, Jerry O’Keefe, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2017.
But once the trial ended, all State support vanished.
Amy is seeking your support, calling on Government to fund better support mechanisms for victims of crime. Many believe victims automatically receive care plans and psychological support post-trial. Amazingly this is not the case. The state provides more support structures for the perpetrators of abuse than to the victims of abuse.
As prisoners in Irish jails perpetrators of crime have care plans and psychological support. Although this is welcome and hopefully prevents those abusers from re offending what do the abuse victims receive... nothing....where is the support for victims?
Due to current COVID 19 restrictions rape and murder cases are being delayed by as much as two years due to Covid-19. Many believe these delays could be devastating to victims and may result in many victims withdrawing their statements.
Ireland has a long horrendous record of abuse, sexual abuse, child abuse yet nothing has changed for the victims. Please help Amy secure what should be a fundamental right of victims