Sir, – The sentencing in the Central Criminal Court of a father following the repeated rape of his son over several years was the conclusion of a case that has variously been described as horrific, deplorable and tragic ("Rape case – boy continues to struggle after years of abuse", October 10th).
However, the tragedy lies not just in the unspeakable suffering by the child throughout his childhood but in the fact that the hurt did not end there. It has been reported that the child was placed in a foster home and was again subjected to sexual abuse, at a time when he was in the State’s care.
One of the most important obligations we have to children who disclose abuse is to keep them safe, to end the hurt where we can, and to do our best to help them live their childhood.
In this case, we failed to protect the child by placing him in danger.
Thankfully he eventually found solace in foster care, and this enabled him to seek justice.
However, the case has ended on the saddest of notes as the young person in question no longer lives in Ireland as we do not have in place the specialist care he requires.
We owe this young person a great debt for disclosing his abuse, presenting his case and providing a victim impact statement to the court. It is not good enough that in return, we cannot provide this brave young person with care, attention and love in the country he calls home. – Yours, etc,
GRAINIA LONG,
Chief Executive,
Irish Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty
to Children (ISPCC),
Lower Baggot Street,
Dublin 2.