Statement from Dignity4Patients regarding the consultation opinion of our victim & survivor group regarding the rescinding of the freedom of Drogheda from Bro. Edmund Garvey in a open letter sent to Drogheda Councillors. As outlined in our previous correspondence to you on 27th August 2023, Dignity4Patients position on the rescinding the Freedom of Drogheda from Bro. Edmund Garvey would be guided by the opinions of the victims and survivors that we represent.
We consulted last week with our victims and survivors in regard to this, most of whom are adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse by Michael Shine a former surgeon working out of Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, when it was under the auspices of the Medical Missionaries of Mary.
The overwhelming response, (94%) of our victim and survivor respondents, is to support the rescinding of the Freedom of Drogheda from Bro. Edmund Garvey. We wish to convey this to you on their behalf.
Dignity4Patients as an organisation also wish to reiterate our position that we support all victims and survivors of sexual abuse and agree they should be supported in their justice pathways - whether that be Criminal Justice, Civil Justice or in this case Symbolic Justice.
As elected representatives of Drogheda citizens, including the local victims of Michael Shine, we would like to remind you of the governments Zero tolerance campaign. The pillars on which it is built are Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Policy Co-Ordination. This campaign recognises that Zero Tolerance is only achievable through a society wide effort. This includes local representatives who must do everything in their power to bring about change and achieve Zero Tolerance. https://www.gov.ie/en/campaigns/fb746-zero-tolerance/#extends
In our opinion and that of the victims and survivors we represent, Zero Tolerance is not just applicable to the hand that abuses, but to the hand that facilitates, the hand that ignores and the hand that protects that abuse from accountability and justice, including symbolic justice.
Thank you for taking the time to read our email. We now ask that you carefully consider the opinions of the local citizens who you represent and were elected by. This includes our victims who wish for the rescinding of the Freedom of Drogheda from Brother Garvey to take place.
Kind Regards
The Board and Staff of Dignity4Patients
DIGNITY4PATIENTS.