RCNI Press Release 21 January 2009

Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) broadly welcomes Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern’s announcement today of a White Paper on tackling crime and his recent publication of the General Scheme of the Criminal Procedure Bill 2009 which brings in some important reform. However, we are disappointed that the Scheme does not address fully the need to give statutory rights to victims of crime.

Caroline Counihan, RCNI legal Director said, ‘we urge the Minister for Justice to ensure that both the White Paper and the Criminal Procedure Bill place the rights, dignity and welfare of victims of crime at their centre. There is an urgent need for minimum standards for assistance and support of victims by all agencies of the State.

Survivors of sexual violence still do not have clearly identifiable and enforceable rights to information about
• appropriate support services,
• the legal process and their role in it,
• victim protection,
• how and where they can apply for compensation, and
• how to access legal advice (where relevant).

‘While some measures have been included in the Garda Victims’ Charter, there is still no statutory mechanism to provide redress to victims where any of these rights has been infringed. In our experience in Rape Crisis Centres this often means that victims are left in the dark about their case and unnecessarily further traumatised. This experience of isolation may result in victims withdrawing from the legal process.

‘While RCNI welcome the establishment of the Victims’ Consultative Forum as a mechanism through which issues with the Garda Victims’ Charter may be raised, we urge the Minister to press ahead with legislation to give the rights of victims statutory recognition as early as possible. Survivors of crime deserve no less.’


Notes:
• The RCNI is the national Rape Crisis Sector body, which provides a strong voice for survivors and is a catalyst for social change to end rape and all forms of sexual violence.
• Our Government has been criticized as early as February 2004 for its failure to put any of the provisions in the Victims’ Charter on a mandatory (statutory) basis. A Report from the European Commission on the implementation of the Council Framework Decision of 15 March 2001 on the standing of victims in criminal proceedings, concluded that Ireland’s transposal could not be considered fully satisfactory. http://eurlex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM:2004:0054:FIN:EN:DOC, {SEC(2004) 102}


For information contact:
Clíona Saidléar: 087 2196447
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