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Updated 13:30.
RAPE CRISIS NETWORK IRELAND says it’s at risk of closing after funding was withdrawn from it by Tusla.
Launching its annual report for 2014, RCNI Director Dr. Clíona Saidléar said:
“This may be the last year the RCNI can present this powerful evidence-base from survivors of sexual violence as Tusla under this government have withdrawn 100% of RCNI’s core funding.”
She added that Tusla by itself “can never get the job of addressing sexual violence done”.
We estimate that only 20% of survivors will reach out to specialist services funded by Tusla. That means 80% do not and will not have their needs met by Tusla’s activities even at full capacity.
In a statement released this afternoon, Tusla says it developed a strategy after it undertook a comprehensive review of the sexual and domestic violence sector last year.
The decision to cease the funding to RCNI is dictated by the need to achieve the best use of limited available resources. RCNI does not provide direct services to victims.
“Following a review of the RCNI database, the conclusion was reached that it does not meet Tusla requirements into the future as RCNI did not produce a comprehensive dataset from all sexual violence support services. Data from the two largest services, Dublin and Cork, was not included in the dataset.”
15% sex perpetrators aged under 18
The National Rape Crisis Statistics Report for 2014 found that 15% of sex perpetrators were aged under 18 while half of them were between 20-39. It also states that 93% of the perpetrators knew their victim.
The information from the 14 Rape Crisis Centres in Ireland found that 52% of survivors aged 13-17 were subjected to rape.
Last year saw 18,296 helplines contacts made to the centres and 1,913 people took up counselling and support.
However, it found only 33% of survivors reported the sexual violence to the police and of those 67% felt the gardaí treated them in a sensitive manner.
RCNI Data and Services Information Manager, Elaine Mears said, “64% of survivors coming to the 14 Rape Crisis Centres in this RCNI report did not report to the gardaí.
“The many experiences of survivors that build this evidence-base for change are only recorded here in the RCNI data system and are visible to the State in no other way.”
Originally posted 5:55am.
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Set up a text donation number. It could help, even just for a short time. Precious lives need this to stay open. This is a vital service that should be 100% funded by the Government.
Theres a petition here Orla:
https://secure.avaaz.org/en/petition/Tusla_the_child_and_family_agency_of_ireland_Reinstate_the_funding_of_the_Rape_Crisis_Network_Ireland/?sURxPab
and you can donate here: http://www.rcni.ie/donate/
this is the problem with our state. it subcontracts work from health, social, law enforcement etc to NGOs and QUANGOS who relase vague reports at midnight on a monday night/tuesday morning. the work (usually compiling data) should be in house and not farmed out to vested interests
It’s a matter of putting distance between the minister and an area of responsibility. In the event of a major fck up there is an extra person between the minister and the problem to blame and/or resign.
If you think the Rape Crisis Network is a quango and a “vested interest” you really do need to educated yourself.
Would you really trust a faceless, unaccountable govt depart to report on its all shotcomings and failing in relation to protection, provision of services, response to survivors?
Whats interesting is that Minister Fitzgrald helped launch the annual RCNI report in the past and lauded the importance of this data to understanding patterns and targeting govt responses, yet here we are in 2015 and the funding has been pulled….shameful
The Ministers in 2013 http://www.thejournal.ie/child-abuse-rcni-athlone-1122018-Oct2013/
Tusla- our new child protection agency- who according to media reports has suggested in a draft report that children should be questioned by their alleged abusers in court. Child abuse by any other name. This is the quango that are now deciding what body deserves funding. I wouldnt trust or have any faith in this quango and i am angry that this is all we have to offer to protect both child and adult victims of sexual abuse in this country. Why didnt Minister Fitzgerald , who is so busy tackling the culture in the justice dept., do the same when she was minster for children and tackle the recessive culture there? Plus la change!!!!
Meanwhile…. The anti-abortion lobby groups seem to have plenty of funding to make sure they are forced to keep the child.
64% unreported?
When you see the amount of assaults reported against successful prosecutions you would soon realize why people don’t report. I don’t have the figures at hand at the moment but they are truly shocking.
I’ve read that between 6 and 12% are estimated to be false allegations.
Too much muddies the water to make successful prosecutions easy.
1 in 10 are false claims, and prosecution is easy!? You just made the case for why we continue to need evidence based reliable data V’s myth.
Try reading what I wrote Audrey.
Where did you read that statistic Paul? I’ve read less than 2%
{sarcasm}Well they have to find the €500 million to give as tax cuts so they can cook the upcoming election somewhere right?{/sarcasm}
this another shameful example of this government’s manipulation of the public purse.
Meanwhile – the Taoisaeach opens a bottle bank in Mayo http://www.thejournal.ie/enda-kenny-bottle-bank-2148559-Jun2015/
@Nelly
That proposal in the Tusla draft report will probably go nowhere. After all, social workers would be perverting the course of justice if they facilitated such a meeting.
awful news. this needs to be sorted
In the meantime the IRBC are giving hundreds of millions away as write downs to the rich, public money that is. The government and minister responsible has set up a fall guy to take the flax from decisions to cut services. It’s always the most needy and the vulnerable that are singled out for cuts. Fall guy or no fall guy, it is decisions taken by the government that decides where the axe will fall, no one else.
It’s a gas ol country we live in. Roll on the next election, can’t wait.
Money spent on a State organisation that can assist in prosecuting abuse is better spent than funding self appointed “counsellors” who will not and or should not participate in criminal proceedings.
To prevent, uncover and prosecute abuse you need to have insight into whats actually happening in the Irish context.. You want to target resources properly, and make good effective policy? Again, you need good data. Furthermore, when rape and abuse happens because of state failures, the support needs to be independent.
Not everyone wants to press charges. Some just need the counselling.
When investigating crime we should entrust the state to ensure good data is collected.
Running counselling organisations with a view to policy formulation is stupid and leads to bias in the criminal law.
You mean like all that data they collected on those Roma Families last year? That data?
It also prevents suicides but never mind that…
TUSLA can kiss Ireland’s collective ass. They are, like all our government bodies, and incompetent and terrible entity. I wonder what kind of bonuses the board members will be getting this year?
Once again the waterford whispers sums it up nicely: http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2015/06/09/nations-rapists-celebrate-governments-cut-in-rape-crisis-network-funding/
Do they mean they won’t be funding the RCNI (which is like a union of sorts for RCCs, I believe) or that they won’t be supporting the network of RCCs? Because those are two very different things.
Both shameful, though.
have your say