Sir, - Apropos the letter on the RSE Programme from Pat O'Sullivan of Claremorris (May 25th) am I mistaken, or do I detect some oblique attempt to scupper the RSE Programme? In essence it seems to read like "drop it, or you'll be sued in future years".
To me, it seems rather odd to attend a meeting on RSE and the only question on one's mind to be: "who can I sue?" If this was not the case let me apologise in advance.
Now I am not too sure about the latency period, but I think it is well documented, (in most of our newspapers, for a start) that sexual and physical abuse of children can cause serious psychological damage in later life, including failing to reach full potential in one's chosen career.
Might I turn around the question posed, and ask from whom would parents seek redress if their child suffered sexual abuse particularly, which the child might have successfully countered if it had received the relevant instruction via the RSE Programme? Could the Board of Management, or a particular teacher, of that child's school, who had succeeded in stopping the RSE Programme in that school, be held liable?
It would be interesting to know too, if those organisations and individuals bent on stopping the RSE Programme could be sued by a parent or victim. Do these people want to go down the same road as the Department of Defence? - Yours, etc., Peter O'Shea,
Sandycove, Co. Dublin.