Sexual abuse of children by blood relatives in Ireland.

political analyst · 04-07-2022 01:33PM #1

This is one of many cases of child sexual abuse perpetrated by blood relatives of the victims in this country that I've read about in recent years.

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/westmeath-man-jailed-for-rape-and-sexual-abuse-of-his-younger-sister-1326351.html

Obviously, abuse by blood relatives takes place throughout the world but it appears that, in the past two decades, there has been a substantial frequency in media reports about such abuse, some cases of which go back decades and other cases being relatively recent.

Have such crimes by blood relatives taken place proportionally much more often in this country than in other countries. If they have, then what are the factors that contribute to the frequency of occurrence of these crimes in families in Ireland?

Brucie Bonus · 04-07-2022 02:18PM

Have such crimes by blood relatives taken place proportionally much more often in this country than in other countries.

Best find out if they have first? Sadly it happens everywhere. I'm sure there's a lot of research out there.

shesty · 04-07-2022 02:21PM

As I understand, a majority of abusers are in the family and well known to the victim in any of these cases.

It isn't just Ireland.I suspect more are coming to light now in Ireland as people come forward to report them.

blanch152 · 04-07-2022 02:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058253013/sexual-abuse-of-children-by-blood-relatives-in-ireland

All of the research shows that most sexual abuse is committed by people who know them.

Bobblehats · 04-07-2022 02:50PM

I would say it happens considerably lesser; than elsewhere but then a major facet of our attempt to minimise it entirely would be to encourage reports and uncover it. Which like many things will be an unending battle but then our children’s welfare is the utmost priority, and so it continues

Pissy Missy · 04-07-2022 02:56PM

Sadly It happens more than we realise in all countries

Jequ0n · 04-07-2022 03:49PM

I never get these threads. Why would this be a worse problem in Ireland than elsewhere? What a bizarre assumption to make without any evidence to support it..

political analyst · 04-07-2022 04:21PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289794#Comment_119289794

I haven't come across reports of as many cases taking place in other countries. It seems to happen proportionally more often here than in Britain.

Ash.J.Williams · 04-07-2022 04:25PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289923#Comment_119289923

I’d say only a nano percentage of uk instances are reported

banie01 · 04-07-2022 04:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289933#Comment_119289933

Very much this. In Ireland, these cases tend to make the national news, whereas in the UK they are barring a rare few very much local news.

Dyr · 04-07-2022 05:15PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058253013/sexual-abuse-of-children-by-blood-relatives-in-ireland

In fairness probably less so than in places where sexual abuse by relatives is also called marriage.

Overheal · 04-07-2022 05:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289794#Comment_119289794

Small country, strong sense of expanded family and community, lots more opportunity for the uncles. As for it being blood relatives, more likely in a place no offense where there is a higher probability you're related in some way to your spouses anyway.

The Irish woman my father long term dated and I regarded as stepmother had those skeletons in her family closet, and the one uncle who should never be let around children but that the family polices themselves. I was not told more, other than to shut up about it.

Bobblehats · 04-07-2022 05:27PM

Far as I’m concerned you keep the population down, you keep the potential cases to something maneagable and “god forbid” should you even seek to increase that from beyond.

One thing of note however it is also a roaring trade; still relatively new to us it’s the economy stupid (not the ecology) and lawyers could also be salivating at the prospect of revenue generation.

buried · 04-07-2022 05:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289923#Comment_119289923

Oh yeah? Two words for you - Fred West.

shesty · 04-07-2022 05:33PM

I think there was a culture of secrecy and "look the other way" for many decades and that has resulted in people coming forward now, rather than at the time.

That being said I have often wondered what on earth was going on that seemed to allow so much of this behaviour to go unreported.The best I can come up with is the Irish attitude of "what will the neighbours think" and that is only really lifting in the last 10-20 years I think.

Fr Tod Umptious · 04-07-2022 05:42PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119289923#Comment_119289923

I haven't come across reports of as many cases taking place in other countries

How much of the media from other regions of the world be they countries, states, provinces etc with population sizes similar to Ireland have you consumed to have "come across it" ?

I'd say none.

Leg End Reject · 04-07-2022 05:48PM

More cases are reported now because the victims will get support and a criminal investigation will follow.

Go back to the very recent past and the guards would probably have dragged you home where you'd be told to shut up. If a young girl or woman got pregnant as a result of the sexual abuse she'd be accused of leading her abuser on and sent to one of the laundries.

The young woman featured in the OP was incredibly brave to go public, from the article it seems her parents would have rathered she just got on with it and her brother be left to carry on with his life as normal.

I don't know where the idea that it's more prevalent here comes from though, perhaps as others have said it's that we hear about it?

04-07-2022 05:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119290185#Comment_119290185

If my uncle diddled me the last thing I would want would be everyone knowing.

Leg End Reject · 04-07-2022 06:03PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119290271#Comment_119290271

And yet you wouldn't have done anything wrong, your uncle would be the one who benefitted by you keeping quiet.

It's a pity victims feel shame and guilt, it probably stops a lot from speaking out.

04-07-2022 06:04PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119290295#Comment_119290295

And? It's real. People can shout out about if they like but I personally like a quiet life. And I'd more satisfaction from proper justice being meted out.

lmao10 · 04-07-2022 06:33PM

It's mostly women who waive anonymity. Guys would usually have the same mentality as the poster above.

Faugheen · 04-07-2022 06:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119290301#Comment_119290301

That's you, and fair play.

Others would want the world to know what a monster they are. Don't think it's something that is fair to judge people on.

political analyst · 04-07-2022 11:27PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119290114#Comment_119290114

I referred to blood relatives, not spouses or in-laws.

banie01 · 04-07-2022 11:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119291439#Comment_119291439

Dyr could well be referring IMO to incestuous relationships perhaps even consenting ones and other such things. Cousin marriage (Common enough in Ireland and not just amongst our ethnic minority), sibling marriage (quite an issue for the Uzbek's)

Quite often there is a history of sexual abuse being dealt with via marriage rather than the law.

Jequ0n · 05-07-2022 06:43AM

I had heard of the case referenced in the op before and I am still unsure how the victim thinks her story will encourage others in similar positions to come forward.

Police aside, she was not given help by her parents and left to deal with the aftermath herself. I can’t see how this would encourage anyone from reporting incidents.

Count Dracula · 05-07-2022 07:06AM

I don't think it as common as people insinuate either. There is a large difference between playing doctors and nurses and outright sexual abuse from a relative. It does happen, but it is nowhere near as prevalent as the media and protective agencies would have you believe.

The unfortunate reality is that when it does happen, the victims are often in a really precarious position to start with, more often than not their perpetrators/abusers are well aware of this and have initiated the abuse. It is essentially a rotten, opportunistic crime, in every circumstance.

political analyst · 06-07-2022 02:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119291463#Comment_119291463

Cousin marriage is not illegal.

political analyst · 06-07-2022 02:31PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119290159#Comment_119290159

The difference is that he wasn't of an apparently respectable family. In Ireland, there have been several cases of abuse of girls by their older brothers in apparently respectable families, e.g. a retired garda who was jailed recently for incest regarding the sexual abuse of his sister when he was a young man (before he joined the force) and when she was in her mid-teens. It was reported in the Sunday Independent.

TooTired123 · 06-07-2022 06:51PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119291713#Comment_119291713

Your teenage brother insisting that he is the doctor and you are the patient and you have to take your knickers off is sexual abuse.

Only a tiny % of abused children are abused by strangers.The vast majority of children abused are victims of someone that their parent or guardian made welcome in the home in one way or another, either a family member or a guest.

The parents instant response to finding out that their child had been hurt by someone they love and trust SHOULD be to protect their child and seek justice and protection, but that’s not always what happens.

Leg End Reject · 06-07-2022 07:09PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119291672#Comment_119291672

Despite not getting support from her parents she made her brother accountable for abusing her.

If only one other person sees that and reports the abuse they endured she will have made a difference. Abusers get to hide behind their victim's feeling of shame.

Jequ0n · 06-07-2022 07:48PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119300414#Comment_119300414

It’s a dreadful poster story though. It only mentions family tension and strife as a result of coming forward.

Leg End Reject · 06-07-2022 07:52PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119300675#Comment_119300675

I don't think she intended it to be a feel-good story in fairness.

Her brother abused her, her parents didn't support her and expected her to just get on with it and let her brother off scot free as if it was a minor indiscretion. She took the power back and he is now a known abuser.

Jequ0n · 06-07-2022 07:57PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119300706#Comment_119300706

If you were in the same situation, would you feel encouraged to come forward considering her experiences?I wouldn’t.

Leg End Reject · 06-07-2022 08:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119300745#Comment_119300745

I can't say for sure because I'm not in that situation, but hearing from somebody who was and came forward without parental support would be more likely to encourage than dissuade me.

John Doe1 · 07-07-2022 01:45AM

This is something that has happened for centuries in every culture in the world. Why would you assume Ireland is not special in this regard?

Sexual abuse of children by blood relatives in Ireland.

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