The justice system in Ireland is failing the victims of sexual crimes. I, as one of these victims, call for change for a more just and fair system for all. I ask for support from others to make this change happen.

The justice system is far too lenient for repeat sex offenders. Not only is concurrent sentencing an issue (where the time they serve for one victim is counted at the same time for another victim), there is also often a backdating of their sentence and early release allowed. The justice system already has a very low rate of successful prosecutions, with many sex abuse crimes going unreported or not getting passed the DPP desk. For those that do, and particularly for the perpetrators that re-offend - they should serve the full extent of their sentence.

Additionally, at this moment in time, sex crime offenders, on release from prison are permitted to live within mere yards of the people they have violated and terrorised. This is not justice. This adds to the fear and reduces the ability of a survivor to fully recover. The victims of theses heinous crimes should have a right to feel safe and have peace after having the strength to come forward.

I ask you to join me and call on the government to introduce a bill which enforces stricter sentencing controls and release conditions on perpetrators of sexual crimes. I specifically wish to have the following conditions applied to repeat and multiple sex crime offenders:

Duration of Imprisonment for repeat sex offenders

Repeat sexual offenders (with more than 1 victim) will be subject to a minimum serving time of: 

• The full term received by the longest of their individual sentences
  • e.g. if a perpetrator is sentenced to 15 years in 2015 and further concurrently sentenced to 17 years in 2018, then the offender will serve a minimum of 17 years from the sentencing in 2015 meaning their release date will be 2032 at the earliest.

Post-Release conditions of sex offenders to include:

• Offenders must stay a minimum of 100km away from the home of the person for which they were prosecuted of sexual offences.
• Not being alone with any child without disclosing the contact to the Gardai
• Not living or visiting a home within 300m of a school/day care centre/ children's park or other amenity where children are typically present.
• Advising the Gardai when they are relocating, where they work, traveling out of the country.
• An automatic criminal protective order to be in place to ensure that an offender cannot attempt to communicate with a person whom they have sexually violated and that they will stay a minimum distance of 20ft away if they find themselves in common surroundings.
• If post-release supervision has been ordered, that offenders are tagged during this time so their whereabouts are known.

I believe that these measures will help return the balance of fairness in favour of survivors of sexual abuse. We, the victims of these life changing crimes, have suffered enough during the crime, during the legal process to get the offender off the streets and in the aftermath. We need the people of Ireland to recognise the strength it takes to see the process through and give us the support and protection so we can heal, recover, get justice and feel safe. A bill reflecting these changes would help bring us closer to this, please show your support

Reference: 

https://www.rte.ie/radio/radio1/clips/22176296/​

https://www.live95fm.ie/news/live95-news/leona-ocallaghan-appeals-to-justice-minster-following-discovery-of-early-release-date-for-abuser/ ​

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/our-legal-system-gave-my-rapist-a-free-rape-survivor-tells-lawyers-1.3904742​

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/criminal-court/let-me-be-clear-you-did-not-win-leona-o-callaghan-tells-rapist-1.3703153