Turnout for fundraiser shows need for service: Éist founders

The reception was as warm as the water when two local swimming groups hosted a fundraiser for Éist, a new support organisation for survivors of rape and gender-based violence

Two of the founding members of Éist, Sandra Daly and Hazel Behan, spoke to the Westmeath Examiner at the coffee morning, surrounded by well wishers and supporters, and with the backdrop of Lough Owel at the diving boards.

Hazel said: “Today has been amazingly overwhelming, in all the right ways. To see so many people come out and support us, it just reconfirms that there is a need for something like this in our area.”

Explaining that there are only six Sexual Assault Treatment Units in the country, one of those in Mullingar, which is the busiest outside of Dublin, she said there is no support service in the town. “And I feel that’s needed. The people coming here today proves that it’s needed.

“Together, community is so strong and powerful, and I believe that we as a community in Mullingar and the midlands, need a service that’s dedicated to supporting people.”

The mission statement of ‘Éist – saying no to silence’ is ‘We are here to listen and provide you with the information and tools needed following the aftermath of rape and all forms of gender-based violence.’

With that aim in mind, the team will solicit the support of schools and businesses, Hazel said.

“We’re hoping businesses will sign up for the tailored training we have created, to become progressive, inclusive workplaces. They become Éist aware. They can display that on their websites, on their letterheads, in their windows. And in paying for that service, that money is reinvested and allows for us to provide a free service to those who need it most.”

She said they hope to inspire a “ripple effect”, from schools and workplaces into the rest of life.

Sandra Daly is the legal advocate for the organisation, and will be looking at public policy change and legislation change. She “didn’t have a very good experience with the criminal justice system”, she said, and believes it did her “more harm than anything else”.

“So that’s something that fundamentally needs to be changed. It’s reflected in the statistics. We’re looking at an eight per cent detection rate last year for sexual violence and gender-based violence crimes, nine per cent the year before, which is abysmal enough, but for that to actually go down, there’s something fundamentally wrong. Is it the quality of the investigations? Is it how the DPP looks at things? That’s something that we’re going to have to delve into a bit deeper.”

Éist are taking a survey on their website, notosilence.ie. “I’m looking to speak to about 100 women who’ve gone through the criminal justice system. It’s anonymous, and I want to what their experiences were. And then I’d like to speak to another 100 women who didn’t report the crime, why they felt they couldn’t. If we get that data, it gives us something to work with. Some other agencies have done a survey recently of the same, so we will collaborate and say, ‘what’s wrong here?’.”

Concluding, Hazel and Sandra thanked everyone who supported the coffee morning fundraiser, and especially the groups who hosted it, Dips Don’t Lie and Blueballs Midlands.

Public representatives present at the event were Sorca Clarke, TD, and her Sinn Féin party colleagues, Cllrs Julie McCourt and David Jones. Cllr McCourt said: “I’d like to offer congratulations to Éist on launching. They will hopefully get funding to go forward and the Blueballs and Dips Don’t Lie. It’s been a super morning, great people, great atmosphere, and I wish them the best of luck in the future.”

Cllr Jones said he was delighted to see the event was well supported (0:27). “It’s great to see Éist get off the ground and trying to create space for gender-based violence victims here in the midlands. It’s badly needed here in Mullingar especially (0:37) and we are delighted to support it.”

Damien Rooney, who brought the Blueballs swimming group to the midlands, said he and the other members are delighted to support Éist. He said Blueballs is as much about men talking and sharing problems as it is about cold water swimming.

They meet on Wednesdays at 7.30pm at the diving boards and all men are welcome to join them for a dip, a cuppa and a chat.