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AMY GILLIGAN WAS raped when she was just 11 years old.
Andrew Cox was 16 years old when he assaulted Gilligan in his bedroom. His mother was babysitting Gilligan at the time.
In 2003, two years after the assault, Cox was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison, with two suspended.
However, last year Gilligan found out by chance that Cox was appealing to be removed from the Sex Offenders Register.
Gilligan had been anonymous in the original court case in 2003, but she has now waived her right to anonymity to raise awareness about victims not being notified when their attackers seek to be removed from the register.
The 28-year-old explained that she heard about the appeal through word of mouth in Athlone, where both she and Cox are from.
Gilligan contacted Athlone Garda Station when she heard and she was advised to write a letter for the judge. She also decided to attend the hearing on 30 May last year.
Gilligan told TheJournal.ie, “I guess I didn’t know what to expect.
“The gardaí were unsure as to whether the judge would listen to what I had to say.
There was a lot of uncertainty around whether I was going to be allowed in the court, whether I was going to be asked to leave or if he [the Judge] would read the letter.
“The man’s defence team tried to get me removed from the court because it was held in camera but the Judge decided to let me stay as I wasn’t just any member of the public.
The judge decided to keep Andrew Cox’s name on the register. Gilligan said:
I guess in a way it was justice being mantained, if they removed him from register it would have been undone.
“For me it was very empowering to be able to stand there and do what I did.
“It was almost like getting a second chance, for me, to address it and put it to rest.”
She added that knowing he was on the register was important to her.
It made me feel safe, I knew he was getting out of prison after three years but at least being on that register was always something that made me feel safe.
‘Victims getting notified is not a huge ask’
Gilligan is now appealing for all victims to be notified in cases were their attacker seeks to be removed from the register.
As it stands a convicted sex offender can apply to have their name removed from the Sex Offenders Register after 10 years on the register.
The convicted person is required to notify a district superintendent of their intention and the superintendent or other garda can appear and be heard at the hearing.
However, there is no formal process for victims to be notified.
TheJournal.ie asked the Department of Justice if there are any plans in place to implement a system where victims are notified. In a statement it said:
“The Government recently agreed to Minister Flanagan’s proposals for a new Sex Offenders (Amendment) Bill and this will now be drafted. Minister Flanagan has indicated that he is open to proposals to add new provisions in this bill and that he intends to have discussions about the Sex Offenders Register.”
Gilligan hopes to speak to the Justice Minister about this in the coming months.
“Victims getting notified is not a huge thing to ask,” she said.
Speaking about the register, she said, “If you offend against children, you have to be watched.
In cases where you have somebody who attacks children, if you have that in you and that’s something you’ve done, you need to be monitored.
She added, “If you’re not classed as high risk you only have to check in every few months.”
However she pointed out that this is not about her or her attacker: “It’s about the safety of others. If I speak about it and some sort of change happens then it wasn’t all for nothing.”
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121k to design a hut. Pull the other one.
@Llennoc: and 190k to rent a temporary security hut during construction period. The Golden circle are allowed to plunder the tax take, with a nod and a wink. No wonder there’s such a gap in society, the range rover brigade get their money so easy, no work involved
Who got the job and let us see all the quotes
OPW is in cahoots wirh certain CCTV and security companies across the country at ALL OPW sites…. i know for a fact, as i’m in the game. This in itself needs investigating.
@Steve Davis: I think maybe you need to supply the information you have to the gardai and expose what is going on
@Tony Lyons: he’s snookered now…..
@JB Software: quality comment
No one is questioning the need for security… but seriously, the cost is ridiculous…. this is not government money, this is taxpayers money… there seems not to be any proper scrutiny from the opw on spending our money.
@R kelly: opw are just one state organisation. There’s others that spend vastly more money, the waste is incredible.
@R kelly: the cost for the equipment fit out isn’t unreasonable
@Pat Hazzard: Mr Pathetic trotted out by Fianna Fail to defend the indefensible. If Jimmy Saville was from FF, you would still come on here defending him, sad pathetic shill.
@Pat Hazzard: are you off your tree ?
Here’s the real breakdown.
Cost of hut 429k.
Cost of scam 1m.
The OPW has a ‘Panel’ of three ‘Approved Security Suppliers’. Palms have to be seriously greased to get on that panel.
Once you’re on the panel, you are in cahoots with the other 2 companies and everyone agrees to ramp their quotes up by 400%. (Thats actually how it works)….
The OPW then gets 3 quotes, one off each of their ‘approved suppliers’ so its seen to comply with tendering laws – regardless of the fact they are getting fleeced and could get it €100 of thousands cheaper elsewhere….
@Steve Davis: You seem to know a good bit about this. you should become a whistleblower.
Write to the Gards, to Journos, try take pics of documents that prove what you are saying and get the word out.
no point moaning about it in the Journal comments. Go do something about it.
It’s so easy to spend somebody else’s money. Disgusting.
Not their money so no one cares.
People responsible need to be held to account. It’s very close to criminal what has gone on here.
What’s the scrap value of the copper boss?
The Minister with responsibility for the OPW must be hiding in the HUT, no sign of him for the past fortnight.
I’m so fed up of this country.
The civil servants are running/ruining this country get them out,sack them all
@Paul: when there’s no accountability, they’ll do what they please.
@Paul: then you’ll have nobody to process your dole.
@Tony Murphy: it’s being happening for years, and did you think the days of the brown envelope was gone.
Where going off the rails on this gravy train
Some gig getting a government contract .
191k replacement security system
Would they need to build a fortress around them if they were a popular government? The lorry that rammed the gates of leinster House in 2010 was driven by a very frustrated gentleman,frustrated that this very pack of muppits drove the country of a cliff by refusing to listen to all the warnings given to them at the time. They will do it again and will need protecting.
Who signs off on these? Is there not a minister responsible for the OPW? After all it is taxpayers money they are throwing out.
It’s a thundering disgrace but they will have a right laugh at the christmas party about how they can do whatever they want and not have to worry about getting pulled up on it. Pissing away tax payers money is so deeply embedded in the civil service it will never change.
Government Contracts means Gravy Train for the chosen few. No questions asked. Sickening.
Did they never hear of Ring Door bells..
3 instances is a pattern
that’s just the tip of the iceberg !
these showers are not fit for purpose and should be inquired on everything they do, on everything they get (perks, advantages, money, pensions etc…)
Name and shame, get the money back, do not vote for them anymore …
Heads should roll at OPW. Crazy spending spree their on.
It’s a security hut, not MI5s headquarters. They must have some James Bond gadegts going on in that hut, or Sensori got the contract.
I’d like to see the security footage of the bike shed being built from this state of the art security building. As I hear there was robbery happening at the time.
In fairness, when the Russians come, we all know where to go. For that money, it should hold all 5 million of us and room for a pony.
https://jrnl.ie/6498460
All Sinn Féin’s fault though, and to a lesser extent the Social Democrats. You can see how the government have risen in the polls though
We need Monuments to the Largesse of our Elite that represent our entitled Govt, Civil Service & “Public Service Broadcaster RTE”. The Bike Shelter & Security Hut, as Stephen Matthews described as “Beautiful”, are representative of how the Elite regard themselves & a total disregard of those who work hard & pay their taxes. It has been ever so in Ireland for decades now, a country where the select Elite thrive in a country rotten to the core. Nothing will ever change, there will always be another NCH, Bike Shelter, Security Hut, followed by the faux outrage of the Elite & the oft used “Lessons Learned”.
If we stopped calling it a “hut” it would help. It’s a state of the art security office at the entrance to our highest government building.
@Martin O Connell: yes and the bike shed is the taj mahal. If this level of security is needed then why are the military not guarding it.
@Martin O Connell: OK, we’ll call it sorasoatetohgb for short.
@Martin O Connell: with a 60,000 euro roof ,stop trying to defend this shite givt
The d Hotel in drogheda was paid 5.3 million for the first 3 or 6 months to house asylum seeks why didn’t we buy it and city west and money hundreds of millions spent and nothing to show for it 190k to rent a security hut why didn’t opw buy it nothing to show for it
Hold on, eu 121,000+ spent on design ! Sounds like OPW engaged consultants for the design. Why? The OPW has their own architects, so why did they need consultants. What were the OPW architects doing, what are they being paid for? Scandalous.
Must have been a lot of brown envelopes involved
Great to see all the learned comments from all the security and construction cost experts here today………
@chris gaffney: that’s it !
Common sense tells you this is a totally overpriced POS.
But here comes Chris trying to tell us it’s all fine .
Feck off chris
construction industry needs to be regulated! Seriously!
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