BY FRANK FARRAGHER

PEOPLE with disabilities need to feel far safer to talk about incidents of sexual violence against them, a new report released in the city this week states.

Female survivors of sexual violence indicated in the report that they were more susceptible to multiple incidents of the attacks if they had disabilities.

The Sexual Violence Against People with Disabilities report – researched and compiled by Rape Crisis Network Ireland – also points out that the risk of sexual violence increases for women with disabilities as they get older.

Fiona Neary, Executive Director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI), told the Galway City Tribune that the report did present some ‘disturbing and awful’ findings as regards sexual violence against people with disabilities.

“If there is one thing that this survey shows, it is that far more training is required in this area for organisations and individuals dealing with people who have disabilities.

“What we need to foster and encourage is an atmosphere where people with disabilities who have suffered sexual abuse, can feel safe and secure in outlining what has happened to them,” said Fiona Neary.

She said that RCNI had presented the findings of the report to Disability, Equality and Mental Health Minister, Kathleen Lynch, as a first step in trying to improve the situation for this very vulnerable group of people.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.