The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) said this evening it was extremely concerned by the manner in which the release of disgraced swimming coach Derry O'Rourke is being handled.
Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop, chief executive, DRCC
O'Rouke, who was convicted of child sexual abuse, is set to be released from prison by the end of the week, according to several reports.
In a statement today, the DRCC said that the victims have not been informed of O'Rourke's imminent release.
"We have heard in the past how the gardai are developing policies and procedures whereby they will inform victims of the release of such offenders. Why has this not happened in this case?," asked Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop, chief executive, DRCC.
"For many years this man has caused untold damage to children in his care. He had been suitably punished and imprisoned for the wrongs he had done. Why now has his sentence been shortened? Will he be on the sex offenders' list? What guarantee have we that his whereabouts and behaviour will be monitored?"
Gardai later said senior officers had been made aware of O'Rourke's imminent release and they were in the process of contacting his victims.
O'Rourke was first jailed for 12 years in on January 30th, 1998 by Judge Kieran O'Connor at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court after he pleaded guilty to 29 charges relating to offences involving 11 girls.
O'Rourke was last sentenced in 2005 where he was sentenced to a further 10 years for the rape and indecent assault of another girl he trained. His jail terms ran concurrently.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe also said he was deeply disturbed by the reports. Mr O'Keeffe said: "Any humane society would ensure that the needs of victims are put first and foremost. Unfortunately, as we have seen this week this is rarely the case."
Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop, the centre's chief executive, said: "Victims in these situations have suffered long enough without having to be subjected to further broken promises by the guardians of our laws."
A spokesman for the Irish Prison Service said preparatory work is always carried out when prisoners are due for release. "If people in the sex offender category are for release the gardai are notified of the imminent release and the prisoner is made aware of his obligations in that regard," he said.