This is what an independent review of the Irish Defence Forces concluded. It documents a litany of bullying and sexual abuse that has been tolerated by the General Staff for decades.
Female soldiers had to barricade their rooms to prevent sex attacks. Sometimes their drinks were spiked. Hidden cameras were placed in shower rooms.
A staggering 88% of women soldiers reported that they experienced sexual harassment.
The report also slams the ‘class based’ system in the army – inherited from the British Army – that is described as “akin to the distinction between upper and lower classes in times gone by”.
Defence Minister Micheál Martin has expressed shock at the findings. But back in 2001, Tom Clonan, now a Senator, published research that came to the exact same conclusions. He was subject to a campaign of intimidation.
Why did Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael Ministers do nothing? Their mock outrage today fits uneasily with decades of turning a blind eye.
It took a campaign by the Women of Honour group to bring all of this to light. Fair play to them!
