Kenny launches DVD on sexual abuse and disability

DVD shines light under ‘dark rock’ of sexual abuse – Kenny


Áine Ryan

A DVD about disabled women from County Mayo who were sexually abused will help shine a light on the insidious and widespread problem of sexual violence that permeates every sector of our society, Taoiseach Enda Kenny said in Castlebar yesterday (Monday).
Speaking at the launch by Mayo Rape Crisis Centre (MRCC) of ‘Three Times More Likely’, Enda Kenny observed that, in light of last week’s publication of the Cloyne Report, this DVD would now act ‘like a ripple in a pond’ and resonate throughout society.   
“Its resonance will be apparent to all who see it. It challenges, informs, educates and most of all shines a light under a dark rock. Unfortunately, sexual violence still continues to plague our society. It has a devastating effect on victims and their families.”
The Taoiseach continued: “This abuse affects people right across our society, affecting people from all walks of life, from all cultural, social and ethnic backgrounds and across all age groups. It should be confronted with vigour, determination and honesty.”
‘Three Times More Likely’, which will be used for training carers, tells the stories of two disabled women whose special vulnerabilities left them exposed to abuse and “perfect victims” for exploitation. 
As the title suggests, disabled people are three times more likely to be abused than normal members of society due to their communication difficulties, needs for affection or attention, inability to define proper boundaries and their reliance on others for intimate care, explained Ruth McNeely, Director of Services at MRCC.
She also observed that it is also ‘so easy to intimidate someone who has perhaps less value in this very materialistic and success-driven world. This susceptibility is further compounded by the fact that such victims are not viewed as credible witnesses in court and the predatory offender can take advantage of this.
“Many survivors of sexual abuse want to tell their stories, they often go through a stage of wanting to shout it from the rooftops. To tell of the injustice, the hurt, and the pain,” Ms McNeely said.
She said that the two women featured in the film represented ‘a community whose invisibility is thankfully at last diminishing’. She said that their desire to tell their stories would have a positive outcome for others. Ms McNeely also praised the input of Dr Margaret Kennedy, who is an expert on sexual abuse and those with different abilities.
Ms Angela Courtney, a founding member of Northern Ireland’s Women’s Aid, said the first-person intimacy of the DVD highlighted the difficulties of services truly reaching out to such groups of people who are marginalised in society.
“The recent press and TV coverage of appalling incidents and assaults in care settings and the horrific scenes uncovered by Panorama, in particular, of the abuse of teenage residents with learning disabilities are profoundly shocking.”
However, she added that such initiatives, as the making of ‘Three Times More Likely’ by MRCC would help bring about positive awareness and change.
The DVD was made with the help of The Ireland Funds, which are an international charitable network operating in 12 countries. The charity has raised over $350 million for worthy causes in Ireland and throughout the world.