Victim Support OR Victim Abuse

I would like to comment on the article by Dearbhail McDonnald on page 10 of your newspaper dated the 14th November 2004.
There is in victim support some who will go to any length to behave disgracefully towards one another and then cry foul when challenged.
Behaviour such as threatening violence, loud, foul and threatening telephone calls. Attempts to inquire of places of employment and threatening ?exposure? when or if successful. These calls can be late at night and have been on a regular basis. Many support groups operate office hours whilst the Alliance and others work from home and offer a continuing level of support that is not otherwise available. We have no doubt but that these calls do come from those who have been in institutions and who regard anybody with a differing opinion then their own as a threat. The Government (providing Offices, Drop-In Centres) and the Catholic Church (who supports some groups financially) are also at fault. They encourage a group mentality that causes a dependency culture to develop.

During the hearings in the Distillery Buildings in Dublin we saw at first hand the type of behaviour emanating from those who could not accept the different views of others called to give evidence. It is noteworthy to recall here that after any period of publicity regarding aspects of Institutional Abuse there is a greater level of abuses and threats. (As I write this article I see already further aggressive abuse towards FHH by other means!)

No, we are not surprised to learn of the type of behaviour shown to Florence Horseman Hogan. We very much regret that she and her family should be subjected to this kind of abuse. FHH is to be thanked for what she is doing to ensure that all genuine claims can be heard whilst at the same time supporting those in the Religious who are been falsely accused. She has already shown great courage, selfishness and determination in what she has done in supporting the many Religious who have been so wrongly accused and who do not appear to have the same redress that we who were in these institutions now have. We sincerely hope that with her families help she may be able to continue. She is very much needed and valued.

Tom Hayes
Secretary
Alliance Victim Support Group
30 Castle Gardens
Richhill
Co Armagh BT 61 9QL

Telephone: 02838 871708
Fax: 02838 871676

Mobile: 0797400 2336