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Seanad
‹ Order of Business

Victim-blaming and Ballymurphy inquest

Summary

Senator Ó Donnghaile rejected victim-blaming in rape discourse and said criticism of such arguments was justified. He then moved to the Ballymurphy inquest and the need for people in the North to be heard on the legacy of the 1971 killings.

He is away now but I wish to refer to some of the remarks Senator Mullen made earlier. I do not care whether people are the most eminent senior counsel, barristers, legal professors or legal practitioners in this State. If people are advocating or pursuing toxic victim-blaming or quazi-endorsement - that might not be the right word but it certainly veers close to it - around a culture of rape or sexual assault that involves blaming the victim, then I think criticism in this House, the other House, on the street, in the media and anywhere else is fully justified and warranted. Certainly, I will not be afraid to do it. I commend and support fully other colleagues from across parties who have taken a stand in calling out the point in these Houses.

I have no wish to get into a ding-dong with Senator O'Sullivan. There may be other opportunities to debate the issue further.

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Yes, the Senator does.

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I do not, because I know the Senator has to come to the House and make the points that he has to make. I am certain there will be other opportunities to do so. If Senator O'Sullivan wants to understand nationalist thinking, why they have turned their backs on Westminster and why they see it as part of the problem rather than the solution, then all he need do is come North, engage with and talk to people. If he did, he would understand – I am certain of that.

The main point for today was around Monday's commencement of the inquest into the massacre at Ballymurphy in 1971. It began in Belfast on Monday and I attended the first sitting. Yesterday, I was glad to see a cross-party delegation from this House. I thank Seanadoirí who attended the inquest. It was not lost on the families. We heard testimony from the relatives of Fr. Hugh Mullan, who was shot and killed by the British paratroop regiment when going to administer assistance and the last rites to several victims. We also heard from the daughter and brothers of Frank Quinn. I do not thing anyone could but be deeply moved, impacted and affected by the testimony we heard. In the coming days families will engage in a session called pen pictures. They will tell the stories of their loves ones. Often with regard to atrocities in the North we hear solely about the end of the lives of people and we do not hear about how they lived or loved, how they played music or sailed, how they were big swimmers, how they cleaned windows or how they worked hard and provided for their families. In this part of the inquest we are getting the opportunity to hear about all of these things. It is a trying time for the families. The inquest is due to go on until the end of March. I encourage colleagues to attend if they get the opportunity. I wish to thank again Seanadoirí who attended yesterday.

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