An open appeal to all Republicans from Ms Cahill
This statement comes to Slugger from Ms Cahill. It is carried in full.
Over the last number of weeks, there have been several allegations circulating – alleged to have been perpetrated by members of the Republican Movement.
There has been mixed reaction to this within the Republican Community, but particularly those within the Provisional republican movement, and those within Sinn Fein Circles. This reaction ranges from outright disgust, horror, condemnation, to the very damaging “turn a blind eye and say nothing” approach. There are obviously people understandably angry as a result – not least the victims. There is a lot of hurt within this community also, hurt which has been compounded by recent contradictions, mistruths, outright denials and certain media spin, which has the potential to deflect away from the real issue – the alleged cover up of paedophilia within certain quarters. Whatever that hurt, there are also families hurting too, people who are trying to come to terms with their lives right across this island, and trying to deal with the fact that members of these families were abused.
There are also parents, rightly angry and worried about their children. People are now backtracking through the years, wondering if their children have come into contact with perpetrators – and they are also rightly questioning if they trust the people they know now. This is a massive issue, and it is a disgrace that alleged child abusers have had free reign to have access to other children. Collectively, we now know more about the issue of sex offenders and reoffending rates. It is likely that perpetrators do not rehabilitate by just simply moving on somewhere else. We know as republicans of a number of cases being discussed at present – is this just the tip of the iceberg? How many more children have been put at risk as a result of mishandling, and in some cases planned facilitation of moving people around the country?
I also want to make it clear, paedophilia is not restricted to members of the Republican Movement. Unfortunately, paedophiles ingratiate themselves in all walks of life. In some instances they are our relatives, friends, priests, professionals, community and youth workers, lawyers, teachers, doctors – the list is endless. No one is blaming the republican movement for members of that movement who inflicted sexual abuse on others.
The blame, however is rightly centred around how the republican movement dealt with the issue, in several cases. It is clear from these cases that not once did the people involved either in so called investigating or in listening, directly report to any of the authorities. They also retraumatised victims of sexual abuse by either their chosen action, or inaction. It is also abundantly clear, for anyone who wishes to take the blinkers off, that paedophiles have been able to move around the country and further afield. In some cases they continued to masquerade as republicans, which in turn afforded them protection, or at the very least a degree of trust, which then also in turn made it easier for them to do what they did, unchecked. That is disgraceful, and brings a deep sense of shame on anyone who continues to support the republican ideology. The fault for this lies squarely with those in positions of power who espoused themselves as the epitome of republicanism, individuals who were looked up to by some, and who now feel tarnished by that association.
There are people out there now who have knowledge in different parts of Ireland on similar allegations of sexual abuse. Are you one of them? There are also people who have heard things on the grapevine about similar alleged cover-ups. Again, does this apply to you?
By not speaking out, you allow yourself to become complicit in the same alleged collective cover-up. I am appealing directly to all republicans from all persuasions to tell what you know. No perpetrator should be allowed to continue to abuse. No movement should give them succour by shielding them. And no republican should sit on the fence on this issue, waiting on other victims to come forward in the hope that the full story should start to emerge.
Be proactive. Do not continue with the legacy of silence. Out all the cases of child and adult sexual abuse. Highlight any suspicion, or knowledge of cover ups. Do this through whatever channel is comfortable for you. An email has been set up, by myself to deal with this issue. If this is an avenue you feel comfortable with using, use it.
I also want to directly appeal to those still within Sinn Fein. I am aware that some of you refuse to believe that this happened at all. People will make up their own minds on the issue. However, as a human, there has to be a shadow of doubt in your mind. Ask the hard questions, and demand an answer. If you are not happy, demand again. No one can afford to put politics over the safety of children. As a human being, you cannot afford to stay silent on this issue. Do the right thing.
Email: {encode=”exposethetruth2010@hotmail.com” title=”exposethetruth2010@hotmail.com”}
Is mise le meas
******* Cahill
Background
EXCLUSIVE – Gerry Adams ignored two more rape victims
Grand-niece of Provo legend endured horrific sexual abuse
Sinn Fein denies mishandling abuse claim
‘Article was accurate and truthful account’ – rape victim
Strong stuff, this lady certainly aint going away and more power to her.
My thoughts and prayers are with you and all the victims in your quest for a just outcome.
The usual apologists must have slept in this morning.Shortly now , though, we’ll be told it’s all down to the agenda of Ms Breen, etc.
I read it this on Pensive Quill and hoped it would appear here.
I am grateful to her. Republicans are putting the children first.
Provos answer as well as their letter’s page which blames the Rape Crisis centre
http://www.anphoblacht.com/letters/2010-01-28
http://www.anphoblacht.com/news/detail/39443
“The usual apologists must have slept in this morning”
Unlike the ‘Get Adams at all costs’ brigade have jumped in with both feet.
Am I the only one concerned that victims of child abuse are been encouraged to ‘do something about it’ by sending an email to a Hotmail account.
What happens after the email is sent, will they be contacted by someone? will the information be passed to someone else?
[edited by mod] Would you say that the correct procedure for anyone who has been a victim of child abuse is to contact the police immediately.
Or what alternative process do you recommend? (apart from sending an email to Hotmail)
paddy
thanks for the links and just read the anphoblacht article… if it wasn’t so damnable it’d be laughable.
obviously there is desktop publishing software that generates random banalities, cliches and disingenuity…
Solipsistic_Plus.v2010?
I hope Ms. Cahill can heal from the unspeakable harm done to her as quickly and completely as possible.
Sadistic pedophiles have no place in any neighborhood and should be locked up, far away from children.
fin
I don’t think it’s a division of Microsoft dealing with the complaints. Would you rather Ms Cahill had used a googlemail account? Unless you think this victim of sexual abuse has other intentions than to help fellow victims, are you trying to detract from the cover up perpetrated by Sinn Fein in relation to the rape of this woman?
All power to Ms. Cahill and her words should be listened to by everyone who knows who, where and what crimes they committed against children!
There should be no hiding place for sex offenders and those who protect and shield these animals should now comeforward and stand shoulder to shoulder with the alleged victims!
Ardoyne Republican
Totally agree.
If there are people who have protected child abusers or rapists, they must come forward and name the people they protected, where, when and why.
If there is any member of a republican, or indeed any other, group who has not left or been suspended, they must be suspended now and the law must take its course.
It is wonderful of Ms Cahill to make sure people, who may hold similar views to her own, and feel the pressure of conflicting loyalties, have somewhere to go to for comfort, support and information.
I hope all the victims of this type of abuse feel emboldened to come forward and start the healing process.
Ms Cahill is a remarkably courageous young woman.
It is disgraceful that she has been forced to put herself in the firing line because cowardly,older men will not face up to their responsibilities and tell the truth.
I only hope that this genuine appeal from the heart will force those who can ask questions to do so.
Ms Cahill has the full support of the Rape Crisis Centre in Belfast and of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland which represents over 16 RCC’s all over Ireland.
She has been listened to, in detail, by the NICHR and the Victim’s Commissioner, she will meet the Children’s Commissioner soon. This shameful episode can not be blotted out of the history of this country.
It is time for the apologists to stop bullying the press with writs, belittling the accounts of the victims and those who support them and calling everyone who disagrees with them anti-republican or dissidents.
Eileen Calder
Totally agree.
The reaction of some to these allegations remind me of nothing so much as the reaction the Catholic Church employed so successfully for so long.
It will not work anymore.
Had Mr Adams (after the Insight programme) issued a full and frank apology, not just to Aine but to all victims – had he said “We were in a conflict situation, with an unacceptable police force and we mishandled Aine’s case and other cases very badly” That would have been it for me. However the media manipulation, discrediting parts of Aine’s account etc, forced Ms Cahill to speak out in support of her. Similarly Aine had no intention of speaking to the press any further on the matter – she resisted many attempts to get her to do interviews after the programme. She then saw how Ms Cahill was being discredited and of her own volition contacted the Tribune to say Mr Adams was “still lying” about the sexual abuse.
To add insult to injury Sinn Fein then said they had suspended the councillor accused of torturing children – yet she was still on their website, had attended at least 2 council meetings, claimed 10,000 in expenses!!!! and they NEVER informed Newtownabbey Council of her alleged suspension. SF must think we all came up the Lagan in a bubble.
It is an insult to survivors of childhood torture, rape and abuse for SF to maintain their arrogant position on this, it is also an insult to the voting population on this island and a betrayal of decent republicans – in whose midst these perverts were placed and in some cases being still referred to for advice and representation through their website and Newtownabbbey Council’s website.
Eileen Calder
Spot on.
Here’s hoping ‘the apologists’ don’t start bullying you and/or the RCC
Good luck
As for the DUP they are almost as bad, getting rid of one of their own pervert councillors and then bringing him back as a fund-raiser when his time on the Sex Offenders was up. -That for me is much worse than Mrs Robinson’s shenannigans. They have many questions to answer too and it is time the press started asking them. Looks to me like we need policing and justice devolved at any price even if we have to wade through the bodies of abused children and raped women to get it.
So far today there has been a deafening silence from Sinn Fein supporters. Is it too much to hope they are busy suspending any with allegations against them pending the result of trials. I hope this is the case. I hope they are rethinking their strategy here.
Eileen Calder
Again we are in complete agreement!
I would hate anyone sitting in loyalist or unionist enclaves to think they are being forgotten in this. We know paedophiles and sadists winkle their way into any organisation that gives them unfettered access to victims. I believe in time we will find there are victims on both sides of the divide and their abusers must be ‘outed’ too.
Yes, there were a deafening silence from other parties after the Insight programme – I said in the Belfast Telegraph that it was because they all had their own skeletons. There will be a lot more from women from accross the divide – our Centre is being contacted daily by ex-clients who are considering either returning to the police or speaking out in other ways. Pandora’s Box has been opened.
The thing that I confess puzzles me, although perhaps it should not, is they are all staying away from this.
I have never been one for conspiracy theories but, when everyone stops at exactly the same time, one has to wonder: were the previous defenders of S/F being organised? I would hate to think so, that would be too corrupt, and in time too damaging for the party to survive.
There should be no hiding place for sex offenders and those who protect and shield these animals should now comeforward and stand shoulder to shoulder with the alleged victims!
Posted by Ardoyne Republican on Jan 30, 2010 @ 03:23 PM
Fair play to you brother. All Republicians regardless of their loyalties to the Republican Movement, must remember it is Ireland that those loyalties were givin to “Not individuals”. Those who were abused were/are Irish children, they are the future and they deserve the same justice and the same loyalty that republicans have fought for for 100s of years.
tacapall
You were there! A clear unbiased statement demanding we protect our children from any predator.
Now, get ready for the rush???
“There are also parents, rightly angry and worried about their children. People are now backtracking through the years, wondering if their children have come into contact with perpetrators – and they are also rightly questioning if they trust the people they know now. This is a massive issue…”
And then the hysteria set in.
Ma’am, if you don’t know your child well enough, then it isn’t a child molester who is the problem, but you. You might read up on Ray Buckey, Peggy Buckey, Margaret Kelly Michaels, etc., so you’ll have some idea of what happens when some do their backtracking. Ask yourself this, how out of touch are you and the other parents that you were so blissfully unaware that your child was being sexually abused?
So rather than live a hysterical fear, why don’t you take it that nothing untoward happened, until on spontaneous/free recall, your child says that it did? I’ll be waiting for the paranoid-schizo mom to report someone, then the son will implicate your prime minister and a famous actor, and we’ll have wild tales about how some went from youth center to the airport, flew on the plane, landed, went somewhere that no one can find, had some ritual child sexual abuse, then back to the aiport, to the other airport, and then back to the youth center, all in under two hours, since that’s how long that child was at the youth center that day. That’s Ray Buckey, Peggy Martin, et. al. For what else you wish to avoid by way of your backtracking, kindly read the appendix attached by the court here (just past half way down):
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/mcmartin/michaelsdecision.HTM
Some put some in Salem to shame with their very own witch hunt. Try avoiding that in your hysterical fear while on your backward looking trek for answers that good parent you should already have.
Lastly, far be it from me to suggest that since the devolution of policing and justice is on the line, that you give the thing some practice beforehand, and see how your responsible law enforcement and prosecutorial authority handle the thing (they’ve already failed Aine the first time). If you’re lucky or they’re competent, or some of both, you won’t have three people indicted for more than 900 criminal offenses while being entirely innocent of the crimes charged.
Almost forgot, for some speed reading on hysteria:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_care_sex_abuse_hysteria
“obviously there is desktop publishing software that generates random banalities, cliches and disingenuity”
Obviously. How else could one possibly explain the remarkable similarity in arguments, and indeed precise phrasing, appearing both in an SF publication and in the comments of so many avowed non-SF supporters on this site?
slappymcgroundout
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/child_abuse_physical_emotional_sexual_neglect.htm
The shame of sexual abuse makes it very difficult for children to come forward. They may worry that others won’t believe them, will be angry with them, or that it will split their family apart. Because of these difficulties, false accusations of sexual abuse are not common, so if a child confides in you, take him or her seriously. Don’t turn a blind eye!
“It is time for the apologists to stop bullying the press with writs,”
Have there been any? I just assumed it was the usual wind.
slappymcgroundout
In case you had not noticed and before you mount another attack on Ms Cahill for daring to encourage victims to call for help, take note of this.
Many children are expert at hiding their fears, they are particularly at risk to threats of what will happen to their family if they speak out.
It is important they and older victims who had to suffer in silence, know they have somewhere to go and be helped, and that no matter what no blame attaches to them for the appalling acts of others.
slapmygroundout
Have you followed the story?
‘Ma’am, if you don’t know your child well enough, then it isn’t a child molester who is the problem, but you.’
And what of these parents that are the ‘problem’? Should we allow their children to be abused? I believe Ms Cahill is appealing to those fellow victims of sexual abuse who feel they have nowhere to go to. A position this victim found herself in due to her being raped. Maybe its all hysteria though, maybe her and her two sisters were just trying to stitch others up. You, sir, are a coward coming on here under an alias to attack this brave woman. She stood up to Sinn Fein and made public her own ordeal in the hope others in her situation may find the courage to speak out.
Ms Cahill is a very brave woman who desreves our support. Her pain shines out through and in between every line of her above statement. It is also very obvious to any reader with a clear mind that she knows what she is talking about.
The “Republican movement” have let her and other victims down. Furthermore, they have sullied the name of republicanism. That said, I have always objected to their use of the word republican and now here is the proof that they never understood what the word means.
Then again, I’m not surprised. Those who think it’s alright to kidnap, murder and bury in a bog a mother of ten kids and slaughter fellow country men and women would always be predisposed to think it’s alright to cover up sexual abuse too.
Oh aye Slappymc what’s your face – wise up.
Wabbits
You are in danger of forgetting many of the crimes you refer to were actually committed to frighten their own community first, make no mistake very few Brits were in danger of kneecapping or anything else, except from loyalists. The murder of a mother of ten, did indeed show the murderer did not care if children were orphaned, and it fixed that thought very firmly in the minds of parents, especially the ones living locally!
You are also in danger of forgetting though, that many, the vast majority of republicans, believed in the cause, went to prison, suffered hardship and fear, all for the cause. It is wrong to assume they all covered up abuse. The danger with this continuing denial and evasion is that others may make the same mistake you seem to be in danger of.
Wabbits, Pip
Unjustifable things have happened in the past there is no getting away from that fact, some actions carried out by the Republican Movement were indefensible. The British Army executed their own men who had Post trumatic stress disorder during World War 1 for being cowards, they did not know, nor did they care, that it was wrong. Lessons were/are learned, it just takes courage from people to admit the wrongs. Its individuals that sully the name of Irish Republiciansm not the collective.
tacapall
For once? I totally agree. In every conflict there are mistakes. We have to make sure that those mistakes are as far as possible restricted to adults and that none of them are sexual or deliberate child abuse.
By the way in the 1st world war, there was no such thing as post traumatic stress. Any so afflicted, who managed to survive the battlefield and the firing squad, were, I believe, known as ‘bomb happy’ and left to fend for themselves as best they could.
How far have we come do you think.
Many victims of rape and child abuse choose not to report the crimes committeed against them to the police – not just in this part of Ireland, but all over the world. This is for a variety of reasons including fear of not being believed or being rejected by their family or community. The fact that most criminal justice systems are stacked in favour of the Defendant in sexual crimes and an armed police force whose priorities lay elsewhere also have been a hindrance in the reporting of sex crimes here.
Most agencies which offer help to survivors would give a reporting rate of just about 25% of their clients.
In divided societies victims are much less likely to report eg – black women in a racist society not wanting to report black on black rape because of the historical racist slur against black men of being a sexual danger to women. – They sometimes believe they are betraying their community.
In the experience of the rape crisis centre in Belfast, at least one in four women say they do not wish to report because they believe (rightly or wrongly) that their abusers have paramilitary or security force connections.
The last four adult rape cases I have attended in court ended in aquittals – and only a small percentage of reported sex crimes get as far as the courts.
In an ideal world all survivors would report to police and social services – we do not live in an ideal world.
Unfortunately in Ms Cahill’s case the IRA took it upon themselves to force her to take part in an investigation, this re-traumatised her and ended not in Court Martial as they suggested it would but she believes in the facilitated “escape from house arrest” with a cheque in his pocket and a long stay in a nice, comfortable Letterkenny Hotel. Mr Seamus Finnucane and Mr Padraic Wilson ought to have sincerely apologised for their role in this scandalous affair (which can be backed up by documentary evidence) rather than re-traumatise the victim YET AGAIN by publicly accusing her of being untruthful.
Ms Cahill’s effort to reach out to other survivors is commendable and I have no doubt she will point people in the right direction, whether that be to a counselling agency like rape crisis or to the police or social services. Maybe there are people within the Movement she has been part of who are still too afraid to talk to “outsiders” her help to them will be invaluable -until they are strong enough to speak to professionals. A Hotmail address where a survivor can communicated with a like-minded abuse survivor may not be a perfect solution but it is a good start and better than suffering in silence. It will also provide an outlet to express themselves for members of the Republican movement – still too frightened to make their feelings known about how the leadership has acted with regard to the whole issue. SF is doing its best to try to paint the RCC as anti-republican to stop survivors in their community coming to us. However they cannot level this accusation at Joe Cahill’s Grand-Neice and I would urge survivors, their families or Republicans concerned with the issue to make contact with Ms Cahill. The RCC is also here for any survivor to contact in complete confidence regardless of who the perpetrator or victim is.
Fin,
Your comment has been removed. Play the ball not the man or what you think is the man.
Any issues with this should be addressed to Mick by email.
ah faceless ‘moderators’ how exactly did I play the man (woman) on my post?
Eileen, there is a world of difference between adualt rape and child rape, your arguement is lenghty but is deeply flawed. In addition you finally make a huge leap of faith in trusting someone (who I presume has not training) to do the right thing.
This thread is deeply disturbing and dispite ‘Moderators’ preferring me not to recommend victims of child abuse to contact the police I still recommend contacting the police immediately, attend the station in the presense of an adult and make a full statement DO not rely on emailing an untrained victim to gain help.
I am unable to give details regarding Ms Cahill’s training, work experience and professionalism as it would jepordise her anonymity – However, if she had no training or experience professionally or was mentally disturbed I would not encourage people to contact her. There are many reasons that people are unable to contact police immediately and those need to be respected. Communicating by email with another survivor is a way in which a person can break the ice, in order to build up the courage for what they ultimately need to do. Believe me, that human compassion is too much under-rated today and professional training often over-rated – ideally both should be there in people working with survivors – but if I had to choose between the two I’d go for the compassion any day.
The treatment of rape victims generally is so poor the words ‘baised against victims’ seem appropriate.
Here it has been even harder, just a month or so ago a rape victim in the south had to endure the perpetrator, who was found guilty, being praised by a priest and many of the local community.
It is always difficult for victims to come forward. In these cases where allegations have been made against some who were looked upon as heroes, it is doubly hard. Every effort must be made to ensure the privacy of the abused if they require it.
Fin,
Your entire comment was removed because of your 2nd rule breach on the same issue – not the reason you are now claiming. We do not have the time to edit your comments, if you want them to remain stay within the rules.
Pippakin – The same thing happened a few years ago in Bangor. Lindsay Brown (Brother of the then Presbyterian Moderator of Ireland) was convicted of abusing several boys at a posh boys Grammar School in Bangor. The next week in Hamilton Memorial Presbyterian church which the pervert was a member of, the Minister gave a sermon about how St Paul was wrongly charged, convicted and imprisoned – the message was clear. It is disgraceful.
The continuing silence of the DUP on its convicted sex-offender Fund Raiser is almost as bad as the pathetic excuses being made by Sinn Fein. There is no part of this society not polluted by paedophiles and no powerful institution /organisation prepared to put the rights of children before their reputations.
Fin,
Your original point was let stand by the moderator (not me, btw). It’s a fair point and a view I also share.
Confidentiality is critical, and I agree that the police is the correct way to go.
But you are not getting clipped for that. That’s because you are continually trying to play Rusty.
Keep that up and you are off the site. And that’s non negotiable.
Eileen Calder
The institutional abuse of children was obviously not confined to Catholic schools and churches. In time I hope there will be investigations into every parish throughout Ireland.
It is to the credit of the victims that the natural extension of these investigations into political parties is beginning with the allegations against Sinn Fein.
For care of the victim, a rape crisis center is the place to go.
For justice, that is what the police are there for.
I understand that a rape victim, especially a little girl, has needs that are immediate and long term. Doctors, nurses and the rest of the caring professions all have a job to do there.
But there is no substitute for putting the offenders in jail, and that the RCC cannot do. And it is the only way to stop the perp from raping other children.
This comment was previously posted Jan 25 2010. it may be worth repeating here. Additional comment after the following observations arising from the weeks exchanges to immediately follow.
Jan25, 2010 @ 5 : 31 am….Tyrell challenges Gerry Adams account……..
As a Southern Republican, a Sinn Fein supporter and an activist from pre ‘69 until well after the cease fire, I have been following the unfolding Aine Tyrell apalling saga in the media with more than a little interest.
First off full marks to Suzanne Breen for both breaking the story and covering it in the specific detail that she did. If in the South with what passed for a normal society with functioning social services, the incidents of Child Sexual Abuse were so numerous, then given the upheavals of Northern society for the past four decades, how could the North be any different?.
In The Six Counties,we are now but seeing the first trickles that will in time inevitably become a deluge. I applaud Aines courage, I had the privilege of knowing and working with Joe Cahill, she appears to have all his integrity , courage and determination. I am saddened for the impact of this on her, her wider family and other victims also. This is one fine lady that will not be silenced. All those party to attempting to do so and their apologists will sooner or later find themselves walking the same ‘blamed and shamed plank’ as leading Irish R.C churchmen are now doing.
Gerry Adams may have many roles in the Republican Movement that he has served well, but in the first instance to the general public, he is an M.P. with all that office entails. I cannot believe that somebody such as Gerry or his advisers could be so ignorant of the nature and character of child sexual abusers as to say as he apparently did to Aine, that Liam Adams working in a youth community project was Liams way of making up for past abuses. As for reports that Liam Adams was involved in restorative justice…. the mind boggles!
Do Gerry Adams think for one moment that if a Fianna Fail, Labour or Fine Gael T.D. were involved in assisting and tolerating a near relative that had been involved in sexual abuse of children at the expense of at least one victim that Sinn Fein T.D’s would not be in uproar in the Dail.?
As to that T.D. claiming that he did not know that the relative was working as a youth officer in a community project a few streets away from where the T.D. lived, as Liam Adams apparently did with Gerry, Sinn Fein would be calling for that T.D.‘s head on a plate, ( and rightly so) in the Dail?
Some like ‘Henry 94’ have already got the big picture; Sinn Fein in the North may have ( or think they have ) voters in Nationalist areas that will follow them to hell and back no matter what. I have enough experience of people the fine people in the Bogside, West Belfast and Armagh etc to personally doubt that. Some may not vote against them but they will not vote for them and those voters could be enough to cost Sinn Fein seats!.
There will be no ambiguity however in the 26 counties especially among young voters, they have had enough cover ups and betrayal. Sinn Fein represented something different from the rest and now they are seen to act just like the Catholic Church did in similar circumstances when faced with scandal. Voters and especially the young ones will be unforgiving. If they cannot vote for un compromised ideals they will vote, especially in the current economic climate, in their own interests and they will not forget who stood by the victims…. or otherwise!
Posted by Munsterview on Jan 25, 2010 @ 05:39 AM
Page 3 of 4 pages < 1 2 3 4 >
Given the rigid, centralized, everybody must sing off the same hymn sheet, type of control long exercised by The Leadership of The movement and in view of where their energies were directed in recent times it is not surprising that there has been no worthwhile response from the heavyweights as yet to The Republican Sexual Abuse Scandals. Lets call a spade a spade here for this is exactly what they are.
To Ms Tyrell in particular…… I applaud your courage, you are a credit to your granduncle Joe, I worked with him and he stayed with me the first time he came to Munster trying for support for the North. He and his people did not stand alone then and you will not have to stand alone now. The same applies to other victims also, take courage and speak out now!
These strictures do not apply to republicans like my self who are no longer active. For Christ sake come out and speak up on this issue for the Victims who must be unconditionally supported, for their families and community. Defend true republican values, human rights and common decency. The time for observing from the sidelines regarding the treatment of all sexual abuse victims is long past. We have always looked after our own and it is high time to do so now and be seen to effectively do it.
There is also very cogent, selfish and pressing reason North and South why this should be done ….Elections!……. Elections!…….. Elections! Have they not seen what has happened to the Catholic Church ? Are all our years of effort for a New Ireland to be for nothing ?
In 1969/70 the Gardner street leadership ignores the concerns and values of old republicans flocking back to the Movement, people such as Marie Drum and Joe Cahill and whole counties such as Kerry. Remember how the Provos came about ? To hell with spin and media management, it is time also that these clowns were saved from their self if true republicanism is to have a future in this island of Ireland!
It’s sad really that the Shinners are able to manipulate so many of their supporters to engage in this cover-up of child sex abuse. Just like lay people, priests, and hierocracy covered up abuse to protect the Church, these folks are covering up sex abuse to protect their church, i.e. provisionalism. They both operate the flawed policy that exposure does more harm to their respective church than cover-up, when the reality is usually otherwise. The victims, of course, are always irrelevant to their activities.
While I commend Ms Cahill for encouraging others not to “continue with the legacy of silence” and for having the courage of her convictions, I wouldn’t recommend that they seek to involve her in whatever that may involve would think they are better serviced by approaching the relevant state services or the Rape Crisis Centre who are properly trained to cope.
Why does people take Ms Cahill the wrong way. I know what she means, her public call for anyone who has suffered as she has, is an embracement of her own republican values and fair play to her. She is a survivor and knows the crack when it comes to the republican community. She is saying that there is nothing to fear, she will help if you need, an outlet if you need. If true republicans cant see it as it is, then you are Irelands enimies, you are no different than the oppressors you call your enemy. Human rights abuse is not confined to being stopped and searched or being locked up for months on remand or not having the right to say no to Orange Order parades going through your area. Its about equality and integridy, wrong is wrong no matter who the wrongdoer is.
I wanted to post up a couple of clarifications in regards to the appeal, and mindful that I am on a public internet forum, I hope this suffices.
Can I first of all thank all of those people who have positively responded to the appeal, right across the board, the response through many different fora has been overwhelming.
Just to clarify.
1. The appeal is an appeal to republicans to scour their consciences and to bring forward any information they have, through whatever channel of alleged cover ups of sexual abuse. It is not addressed to abuse survivors, but at those within the republican community who by not speaking out become just as complicit. The email address I have provided is there as a last resort, in case people do not feel confident in bringing information to other channela.
2. If a survivor of sexual abuise contacts this email, I will provide them with signposting to support services straight away in whatever part of the country they are living. I have training in both counselling and cognitive behavioural practices, however I do not wish to use this in terms of this issue – people rightly should be directed to the services which can provide long term therapeutic support – and that is something which I feel strongly about. I am currently compiling a list of support services, and most of this information will be immediately readily available should a survivor get in contact.
3. I am aware that on terms of republicanism there is a mistrust of certain authorities. In issues of child sexual abuse I am in full agreement that criminal processes should be underway immediately, that is why I feel so strongly that in moving perpetrators of abuse outside the legal juruisdiction, they allowed them to have access to other children. My feelings on that are contained in the appeal.
I trust that this clears up some issues which have been raised on Slugger, my hope is that the full picture will start to emerge in terms of the extent of the problem, so that perpetrators can be brought to justice, and that victims of abuse can have access to proper therapeutic support rather than feeling isolated or suffering in silence.
I spoke to Ms Cahill tonight and she intends to post a clarification tomorrow when registered with the site. This will explain that the main purpose of the email account is for republicans dissatisfied with the leadership handling of the crisis can they can express their views. But if republicans who happen to be survivors feel they cannot talk to any other agency – then they can communicate with her – she will also state her qualifications and experience as she has had experience with dealing with young people from abusive backgounds in a professional capacity.
Beat you to it Eileen
Glad the registration went through.