SHOULD SEX ABUSERS MEET THEIR VICTIMS?
JUDGE’S JUSTICE IDEA BRANDED ‘DAMAGING’
MAIRIA Cahill has said it would be “very damaging” for any victim of sexual abuse to be brought face to face with their attacker, after a former judge suggested the idea.
Yesterday, Sir John Gillen — who is leading a review into how the criminal justice system handles sexual crimes — suggested that sex offenders and their victims could be brought together outside the courtroom, as part of a plan to tackle under-reporting of sexual crime in Northern Ireland.
The process is under review following a high-profile trial in which former Ulster and Ireland rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were acquitted of raping the same woman.
Restorative justice methods are being considered as the justice system attempts to improve the reporting of sex crimes. It is believed that more than eight out of 10 alleged sexual crimes are not being reported to police.
Sir John, a retired appeal court judge, said sexual offenders and their victims could be brought together outside the courtroom to tackle this under-reporting.
He has described Northern Ireland as a “shining” example in its use of restorative justice in other areas involving low-level wrongdoing or that committed by youths.
He added: “The main reason I am looking at it is because 85% of women and men are not coming forward into the criminal justice system. We are therefore looking at the possibility of something additional to the criminal justice system for people to be able to come forward and get closure.”
Ms Cahill claims she was sexually abused as a 16-year-old by republican Martin Morris.
Mr Morris, who denied all wrongdoing, was later acquitted of rape when the case against him collapsed. Ms Cahill has alleged the republican movement’s response to her claims was to subject her to an IRA interrogation — including forcing her to confront her alleged attacker.
She also accused Sinn Fein of engaging in a cover-up and waging a campaign to question her integrity ever since she waived her right to anonymity in 2010.
Ms Cahill, now an SDLP councillor, says she would be completely opposed to any form of restorative justice in sexual offences.
“I understand that restorative justice works well in other crimes — but the potential for damage is just so great that Sir John Gillen should not be considering this at all. I would caution him against this idea as an alternative to the criminal justice system as that’s the only way that sex offenders should be dealt with.”
Almost 20 years after Ms Cahill came face to face with the man she alleged attacked her, she says the experience was “extremely damaging”.
She added: “I think there are very few sexual abuse victims who find any sort of peace from meeting the person who abused them.
“It happens on very rare occasions but the vast majority never want to see the person that has harmed them in that way again because it is such an evasive crime. We have a huge amount of damaged people out there, both abusers and victims, and there has to be a better way of providing support.”
Ms Cahill’s comments come as the PSNI and other official agencies launch a new sexual consent awareness campaign called ‘No Grey Zone’, aimed at those aged 16-28.
It seeks to raise public consciousness of what sexual assault and consent is, to equip young people with the knowledge and skills to safeguard them.
PSNI detective chief superintendent Paula Hilman said: “We wanted to develop a campaign to educate young people about sexual consent and send the clear message that there is no grey zone.”
The senior officer revealed a student survey showed just over 4% of those who said they had been sexually assaulted reported it to police. However half had not told anyone.