This article is from page 4 of the 2011-11-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 4 JPG
THE NUMBER of sexual offences reported in Shannon so far this year has almost trebled, compared to last year. The attacker was known to the victim in each of the 11 complaints to gardaí this year.
The 11 incidents this year compares with four during the same period last year. Five of the 11 complaints related to alleged incidents prior to this year, one of which dated back to the 1970s, while another dated back more than 20 years ago.
Some of the complaints referred to alleged multiple incidents. Of last year’s four complaints, two related to incidents that occurred last year, one related to 2009 and the other complaint related to more than 20 years earlier.
According to the Rape Crisis Centre in the mid-west, the reason for the substantial increase is due to the fact a victim came forward.
Earlier this year, a woman who was violently raped in Shannon more than 20 years ago, spoke for the first time of her horrific ordeal.
The woman, who was aged 15 at the time of the attack by a gang of boys, said she was afraid to tell gardaí or her family about what happened as she was afraid of the repercussions.
“I never got help myself, but at least now I can help people access the services that are there for them and encourage people to avail of those services,” the victim said. She said she was telling her story for the first time because of the feared closure of Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI), the umbrella group for rape crisis centres across the country, amid projected cuts.
Miriam Duffy of the Rape Crisis Centre in the mid-west, said, “Increases in reported incidents have shot up.”
“Partly because of that interview, people reported. The only thing we can assume is that prompted others to come forward,” said Ms Duffy.
“It is not unusual in the days and weeks after a story such as this that people take the step of making a formal complaint. It is quite possible that because her story had a positive outcome other survivors were encouraged to come forward,” she said.
Chief Superintendent John Kerin told The Clare People that the alleged attacker was known to the victim in each case reported this year and that the increased figure reflects “an increase in reporting”.
“They are all domestic related or childhood related. None of them is a violent attack that happened there and then on the street,” he said.