Ireland Secretary of State reveals to Parliament she was sexually assaulted
The Irish Parliament, the Dail, in Dublin (illustrative image).
PAUL FAITH / AFP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 min
Irish Secretary of State for Inclusion Josepha Madigan revealed on Tuesday (July 6th) that she had been the victim of at least one sexual assault in her lifetime.
But above all, she recalled that her case was far from isolated and that it says a lot about the place of women in Irish society.
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With our correspondent in Dublin,
Émeline Vin
At 51, Josepha Madigan believes that most women of her generation have suffered sexual assault like her in their lives.
“
I know because I am one of them,
” she said.
It was and still is much more frequent than we imagine.
I always take the statistics with a grain of salt, as many do not report their assault.
The worst part is that the abuser is not a monster in the night.
It is often a friend, a spouse, an acquaintance.
"
Calls to the police increased by 16% in 2020. Prosecutions for
sexual or domestic violence
, by 25%.
This is a social problem for the Secretary of State.
“
The 36 female deputies and the 18 senators do not always agree politically.
But from a personal, human point of view, we agree on one thing: Ireland is an incomplete democracy when it comes to the representation and treatment of its women,
”she continues.
For the Irish Constitution, the place of women remains at home.
Josepha Madigan called on Parliament, two-thirds male, and his own government to speed up the project of constitutional reform.
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