The BBC documentary that led to the resignation of Bishop Brendan Comiskey prompted a sharp rise in calls to the Wexford Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Services, writes Chris Dooley
Calls to the service more than doubled after the programme, Suing the Pope, was broadcast on April 2nd. Many callers reported abuse by priests but a significant number alleged abuse by other professionals, including teachers and doctors.
In the month before the broadcast, the Wexford centre received 169 calls, 105 of which were counselling-related. In the month following, the number of calls jumped to 372, of which 263 were counselling-related.
Ms Yvonne Pim, director of the centre, said the figures clearly indicate that the screening of Suing the Pope enabled victims to come forward to seek counselling.
Many of the callers specifically referred to Mr Colm O'Gorman, who related on the programme how he had been abused by Father Seán Fortune and also highlighted the dissatisfaction of victims with the way abuse cases had been dealt with by the Church authorities.
Mr O'Gorman had given the centre permission to give his phone number to other victims and was "bombarded" with calls in the aftermath of the programme, said Ms Pim.
A significant rise in the number of male callers to the centre was also noted. Normally, about 20 per cent of those contacting the service are men but this rose to about 35 per cent after the programme went out. Ms Pim said the response to the programme was a positive development, but it was now crucial that adequate facilities be put in place to deal with the increase in those seeking support after experiencing sexual violence.
A priority, she said, was the need for a sexual-assault treatment unit in the south-east, with forensic medical examination facilities. A unit of this kind has just been opened in Limerick to serve the mid-west.
At present, rape and sexual assault victims in the south-east attend hospitals in the hope that there is a doctor on duty who has been trained in the collection of medical forensic evidence, said Ms Pim. Otherwise they may try to find a GP but many doctors lack the necessary experience.
"If evidence is not collected satisfactorily then cases may not go forward and everyone suffers. The victim obviously does and the perpetrator is still out there," she said.
The Wexford centre has also highlighted the difficulty people living in rural areas face in accessing its services. The centre has outreach services in Gorey, Bunclody, Enniscorthy and New Ross, as well as its main operation in Wexford town, and four out five people using the services are from rural areas.
However, those not living in towns can find it more difficult to access services because of the secrecy surrounding the issue of abuse, and practical problems such as inadequate public transport.