Specialised sexual assault unit urged for Galway

Rape Crisis Centre: The need for a specialised sexual assault unit in Galway has been highlighted by the co-ordinator of the Galway Rape Crisis Centre, Tanja Alanko O'Malley.

While there are a number of such units located around the State, victims of rape and sexual assault in Galway have to travel to Donegal or Cork to their nearest unit. These units allow for forensic testing, Garda interviews and crisis counselling to be carried out under the one roof.

Ms O'Malley also stressed the need for increased funding for rape crisis centres all over the State, pointing out that in her home country of Finland, such centres are fully funded by government.

She points out that there is only one doctor available in Galway to carry out forensic examinations of rape victims and for a number of years, there was no doctor at all.

This meant patients had to be transported to Dublin and endure hours of waiting before they could even shower or clean themselves.

As well as providing counselling and support services for survivors, the Rape Crisis Centre, based at Claddagh Quay, runs a telephone helpline, 24-hour call-out service for the gardaí and hospitals, and organises education and prevention programmes for young people.

The centre was founded in Galway in 1984 by a group of women who were concerned about the lack of services in the west of Ireland for female survivors of sexual abuse. Today, it provides up to 2,500 counselling sessions every year.

Funding has always been a thorn in the side of the Galway Rape Crisis Centre. Indeed, the future of the centre was in jeopardy a couple of years ago because of the lack of resources to run it.

While the Department of Health provides half of the annual funding required to keep the service going and the Department of Justice also provides a small grant, the rest of the money is raised through fundraising events.

Ms O'Malley highlighted the importance of the education and prevention programmes that the centre runs in secondary schools in Galway to raise awareness about healthy relationships, taking precautions and protecting themselves against the risk of sexual assault where possible.

Ms O'Malley said the biggest issue in rape and sexual assault tended to be alcohol, not drugs, and people needed to be aware of their own limits.