Liffey suicide is latest victim of abuse to die

Thursday April 28th 2005

A MAN who died after jumping into the Liffey in Dublin this week was the latest survivor of institutional abuse to have taken his own life.

Anthony Delaney is thought to have thrown himself into the river at the city's quays at noon on Tuesday after emerging from a nearby solicitors' offices.

Mr Delaney was among the former inmate of residential institutions whose cases have been dealt with by the Government-appointed Residential Institutions Redress Board.

Groups representing survivors of abuse have warned that proper counselling support is not in place, and that there has been a steady trickle of suicides by depressed survivors.

Mr Delaney, who is believed to have been a former resident of St Joseph's Industrial School in Letterfrack, visited a drop-in centre run by the National Office for Victims of Abuse (NOVA) on the day he died.

Tom Sweeney, an abuse victim who staged a 22-day hunger strike outside the Dail last year spoke to Mr Delaney last week.

"He was a bit depressed last week. A lot of victims seem to be pushed around and we don't know where we are going," he said.

"It's not about the money. There are a lot of them who are homeless and there is no back-up to facilitate them."

Christine Buckley of the Aislinn Centre, a victim support group, said she was devastated by the death.

She said quite a number of people had taken their lives following or prior to reaching a compensation settlement arising from the childhood abuse they suffered.

"People have received money but the money is not going to take away the pain," she says.

John Kelly of SOCA, another representative group for abuse victims, said that victims of residential abuse were being driven to despair by their treatment in recent years.

"A lot of it is the cumulative effect of the whole process," he added.

"Most victims also want to see criminal convictions and that is not happening. They also want to be able to go to a civil court where the process is transparent and open."

An official the Redress Board said that legislation prevented it from making any comment in relation to individuals whose compensation claims have been, or are being, processed.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Gardai confirmed that a body was recovered from the Liffey on Tuesday.

Ben Quinn

? Irish Independent