THE WOMEN OF Honour group has said “fear, mistrust and the lack of psychological supports” has impacted on people’s ability to participate in a Tribunal on how the Defence Forces handle claims of abuse.  

Ms Justice Ann Power formally opened the inquiry in June at the Tribunal’s headquarters on George’s Lane near Smithfield in Dublin.

The Tribunal has inquired into how the Defence Forces deals with claims of abuse, including allegations of sexual assaults and torture, and invited members, civilians and civil servants to come forward and tell their stories.

Speaking in June, Ms Justice Power acknowledged that people may be reluctant to share private, sensitive, confidential or personal information, but added that the Tribunal will only allow interference with privacy rights where it is “necessary and proportionate”.

She said it is not possible to guarantee absolute confidentiality, but the Tribunal will approach such matters with sensitivity and will only disclose to third parties where it is required by law.

There was a deadline of 16 August for anyone with knowledge, documents or information relevant to the Tribunal to submit a written statement. 

In July, Ms Justice Power extended this deadline for the submission of statements until 30 September.

In a statement today, the Women of Honour (WOH) group called on this deadline to be “immediately” extended further.

WOH is the support group for former and current female Defence Force members who allege they were abused in the military.

WOH today said it has been contacted in recent weeks by “many more serving and retired Defence Forces Personnel who want to take part in the Tribunal but have said fear, mistrust and the lack of psychological supports are affecting their decision to participate”.

The group has called on Taoiseach Simon Harris and Tánaiste Micheál Martin to “step up”.

“They need to give a confidence-building, public statement of assurance that there will be no reprisals against anyone who engages with the Tribunal,” said a WOH spokesperson.

“It is imperative that Government show their support to our service men and women by ensuring that any bullying or pressures applied to sway or silence personnel will be met with zero-tolerance,” it added.

While the group said the Tribunal is an “exceptional opportunity to make a real difference”, it noted that many have had concerns with the process.

“We endeavour to tackle each of these concerns, including the Tribunal’s deadline for statements of 30 September which in our view is too short,” said the group.

It added: “The herd mentality that exists, founded on fear, cannot be broken with a 30 September deadline. The Tribunal needs to extend the deadline immediately.” 

WOH added that it is “working to put as many protections and assurances as possible in place, including essential legal protections, by professionals who understand the law in relation to Tribunals”.

The spokesperson also noted that the group is holding online support meetings to help those who need it with statements and has “urged everyone who wants their experiences to count to make contact”.