Gardaí have confirmed they are investigating a complaint that a mildly autistic woman was raped repeatedly in a midlands psychiatric hospital between 1991 and 2002 when she was a patient there, Patsy McGarry, Religious Affairs Correspondent.
It is alleged the woman, who is now resident in another psychiatric hospital in a different health board area, was raped by five fellow patients in a mixed ward at the Midlands Health Board hospital over the 11-year period.
A spokeswoman for the Midlands Health Board would not comment on the allegations yesterday.
The now middle-aged woman's father, who does not want his own or his daughter's identity revealed, said the family had first become concerned for her in 1999 when she was seriously ill.
Soon afterwards, an agreement about her care with the hospital was ignored, he said. The family then became even more concerned, especially about their daughter's neglected appearance.
He noted at the time that she was becoming increasingly withdrawn.
In March 2002, the family took her home, and in August of that year, she was placed in the care of staff at another psychiatric hospital in a different health board. It was there, last year, that she first began to speak of her experiences of rape over 11 years at the previous hospital.
She spoke to her father about this, at first reluctantly, then to her psychiatrist, who became convinced by her claims.
The psychiatrist contacted the woman's father and told him the gardaí would have to be informed. By that time, however, the woman's father had already contacted gardaí in the town where the alleged rapes had occurred.
He spoke to two sergeants in recent weeks about what his daughter had said. The gardaí there are now seeking files from the woman's current psychiatric hospital. Her local rape crisis centre is to begin counselling the woman next week.
Ms Margaret Kennedy, a consultant and specialist in disability and abuse who has worked with Brothers of Charity staff in Co Galway on client-protection programmes, said the woman's story was "not unusual" where care for intellectually disabled adults is concerned.
She questioned supervision levels in such hospitals and the vigilance of staff. "Did they assume what was happening was sexual relations rather than abuse?" she asked. "Did they not question whether she was able to resist?"
In her opinion it was "absolutely vital" there be a proper inspectorate for such hospitals.