RCNI Press Release 11 August 2004

Yes Vincent Browne, sex offenders are ordinary people

Fiona Neary, Rape Crisis Network Ireland’s (RCNI) national coordinator, like Mr Vincent Browne in his Irish Times column today (11th August ‘04), would like to see an end to the demonisation of sex offenders, however, not because it is ‘unjust’ to the offender or because the offender is ‘ill’ as Vincent Browne argues, but because it is over-simplistic, wrong and unhelpful to do so.

Fiona Neary said, ‘for 25 years now those of us working in rape crisis in Ireland have been battling to explode the myth that sex offenders are anything other than ordinary people in our society. All too often victims of rape and abuse are confronted with a public attitude which disbelieves them because the accused rapist is a pillar of the community, is a good man, is ‘ordinary’.

‘This is why the demonisation of sex offenders is deeply unhelpful in the fight against rape and abuse in our society. All research on sex offenders demonstrates that there is no one type, no one characteristic, no one motive to sex abuse and rape.

‘Mr Browne’s contradictory reason why we should not demonise sex offenders is that we should categorise them as ‘ill’. This is especially uniformed, illogical and deeply unhelpful. There is no evidence to suggest that sex offenders are ill. Unfortunately they are all too often perfectly ordinary and sane. His assertion that not recognising their sex offending as an ‘illness’ is ‘unjust’ to offenders is so deeply grossly unjust to victims of abuse and rape that we cannot begin to express our disgust at such a sentiment.

‘His second assertion that it is ‘unfair’ to demonise them as ‘simply ... paedophiles’ is entirely without sympathy for their victims or condemnation for their actions. It is, of course, possible for a sex offender to be a hero in other aspects of their lives, however, this should not for one second act as a mitigating factor in our judgement of their actions in abusing and sexually violating their innocent victims.

The Rape Crisis Network Ireland recognises Vincent Browne’s understanding of the extent of abuse and his courage in addressing this issue in a public arena. However, he is greatly misinformed about sex offenders. We would therefore like to invite him to attending training with either ourselves or with organisations working with offenders.

Notes:
• The RCNI is the national forum of Rape Crisis Centres, which provides a strong voice for survivors and is a catalyst for social change to end rape and all forms of sexual violence.

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