Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.
You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.
If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Taylor Swift had promised to help those affected by sexual assault after winning the court case Dominic Lipinski/PA Images
Speaking out
'You are not alone': Taylor Swift makes 'generous' donation to sexual assault charity
The pop star won a sexual assault lawsuit against a radio DJ on Monday.
8.54am, 18 Aug 2017
17.1k
32
POP STAR TAYLOR Swift has made a “generous” donation to a US charity that supports victims of sexual assault after winning a groping lawsuit against a former radio DJ, the organisation confirmed yesterday.
Joyful Heart Foundation, a national organisation working to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse, declined to disclose the amount of the donation.
“I hope that Taylor’s very public experience – and her decision to speak out – not only helps empower other victims to speak up and take action, but offers them solidarity,” said its founder, the actress Mariska Hargitay.
I’m honored by her dedication and commitment to these issues, and I’m deeply grateful for her support of the Joyful Heart Foundation.
Charity CEO Maile Zambuto thanked Swift for her “generous investment” and said the singer’s actions “send a powerful message to survivors everywhere: you matter. What happens to you matters. And you are not alone.”
The 27-year-old Bad Blood songstress won her sexual assault lawsuit on Monday. A jury in a Denver federal court deliberated for four hours before allowing her complaint that David Mueller had fondled her buttocks during a photo op in 2013.
Advertisement
Swift, who was awarded a nominal $1 in damages, promised to donate to charities in the wake of her ordeal. According to Forbes she is worth $44 million (€37.45 million).
“I acknowledge the privilege that I benefit from in life, in society and in my ability to shoulder the enormous cost of defending myself in a trial like this,” Swift said in a statement thanking the court.
My hope is to help those whose voices should also be heard. Therefore, I will be making donations in the near future to multiple organisations that help sexual assault victims defend themselves.
Hargitay starred as a police detective on Law and Order: Special Victims Unit, a drama about New York officers who investigate sexually related crimes.
Hargitay played Detective Olivia Benson in the popular TV show Sonia Moskowitz / Zuma Press/PA Images
Sonia Moskowitz / Zuma Press/PA Images / Zuma Press/PA Images
She says one in three women report being physically or sexually abused by a husband or boyfriend at some point in their lives, and that someone is sexually assaulted every two minutes in the United States.
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic.
Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy
here
before taking part.
@DeeM: This article is specifically for people cocooning though. He said people can go shopping but people cocooning is a different set of rule. You exclamation marks are causing more panic.
@DeeM: if a person is cocooning they can not go out for shopping. I leave the shopping in my vulnerable family members garden, another member of the family that has also been staying at home with them removes the packaging if they can and sprays and wipe all the food down before bringing it into the house. Shoes and coats dont enter the main part of the house and are removed in porch.
@Caoimhín: Exactly! ‘Healthy’ people can go to the shop for essentials but the elderly and medically vulnerable people must make alternative arrangements. They must not leave the house.
@brendan fitzsimons: So kind thanks!! Stay safe everyone.. Look after the elderly and vulnerable people in your lives as best you can. Its going to be a hard road ahead but we’ll get through this.
@Keelin Connolly: thats great i am one of those people but so is my daughter so there is no one who can get my groceries what do i do in those circumstances
@Nell foran: contact your local gaa club or garda station if you have no one else, many round the country are helping out. Otherwise try to put a list of at least three other people who could help, doesn’t have to be family, that way if one gets sick you have two in backup
@Nell foran: Seen loads of pics on social media yesterday of Guards doing shopping for older/vulnerable people. The commissioner said earlier if you need help call the local station and they will organise it for you.
@Nell foran: I am also one of those people told I cannot leave the house, by order of my specialists and now the government. Today, I got a delivery from my local supermarket. They left it outside the back door. My friend called with other essentials, again they left it outside the back door while I waved at her through the window. I understand it’s difficult however, I am more susceptible to getting the virus as I have a low immune system. I’m am staying in in order to not get sick and more than likely need hospital treatment and also to not pass it on if i was asymptomatic for a few days. We all have to do our bit as much as we can.
How am I supposed to cocoon, I do fall into the at risk category, I have 3 year old twins to take care of, and a husband who is supposed to go to work because its deemed essential, eventough the company makes knees and hips and all non essential surgeries such as knee replacement surgery, has been cancelled,?
@COYBIG: I feel for you, I really do. But can’t your husband get groceries on the way home from work? If he’s not living with, can’t someone else? If you’re vulnerable, you shouldn’t be putting yourself at risk, for your own sake and your children’s
My wife and I feel a lot safer now. We have already been cocooning for the last two weeks. Family gets the shopping for us. You can only catch the virus from someone else so if you isolate and cocoon you should be safe.
I am minding my mother with dementia who is 80 , up to now just leaving the house for shopping do I now have to try and get the shopping delivered obviously this is all new to me
@Oliver Mahon: no, you can shop for both of you if you’re not ill. If you are, call someone to help. At worst, call the Gardaí!! A lot of us need help, but more are willing to help, whether it’s medicine or groceries, anyone under 70 and not in the category of ‘vulnerable’ can get these for you.
@Caddyshack: I do that sit six feet away from her at all times , separate bathrooms but I have to cook for her etc and just be there for her impossible situation, as she is not capable of the normal day to day stuff, but still coherent enough in other ways
@Oliver Mahon: I look after my dad…hes blind and has many of the underlined conditions…he hasn’t been out in public for 2 weeks…we have been spending the time out in his garden. I live 10 minutes from him…I’m taking every possible precaution to keep him well..and look after my own family…I havnt been in contact with anyone…keeping my distance…its very hard and scarey…
@Edel Mc Nulty: be sensible. if both parents are isolating and neither is vulnerable then they’re is no increased risk by a child going between two isolating households. On the other hand plenty of vulnerable or at risk people and people with symptoms are attempting to isolate from their own children WITHIN houses to avoid spreading this virus. So there may be reasons, perhaps temporary, that it’s not in someone’s medical interest that a child visit.
It’s important though that children get to maintain relationships and support networks during this time so if there is a reason the child can’t visit a parent then plenty of facetime/ phone calls etc and re- establishment of a normal routine as soon as possible.
How are over 70’s with no kids or support supposed to shop for food ? This is too harsh and not possible . Why not institute an hour where only the over 70’s can go out of the houses and shop while we stay at home ?
With food deliveries taking so many days and those over 70 not using the internet this is a bad measure.
@Isabel Oliveira: there are volunteers all over the country offering help. They are coordinated by Covid Community Response. There is a phone number on their webpage.
@Sam Rhodes: i know but it makes me uneasy to lock the elderly at home two weeks straight . It would be more humane to give them 2 hours each day in which they can go for their walk and shopping . Loneliness, lack of exercise and sun can be very harmful for the elderly. The sacrifice should be on us to stay home between say 10 and 12 every day . It would be fairer .
@Isabel Oliveira: phone A L O N E, a charity,set up to support in this situation. Also, your community nurse. Your priest or church leader should be able to organise. All else fails, call the Garda, (police)
@Sam Rhodes, Isabel may not be handy withe internet. Why not go the extra mile and include the phone no.
I’m in the vulnerable category. How can I pay for shopping if they don’t want to accept cash and I don’t want to give my card & pin to someone I don’t know?
@Aoife Leighton: See the little clause – *or any essential/key worker advice should be sought from Occupational Health who can give specific advice on individual conditions.https://t.co/8BvWb5ruQg
So they may be told to go to work.
New York is very short on ventilators. If we have any spares we need to fly them over asap. Don’t we make them here? Can we build excess ventilators anyone? We need to build on mass and send them where that are needed. Can we increase the number we make by upscaling production asap? Anyone know anything about ventilators in Ireland?
@Imagine !: According to Trump, they are making plenty . So that’s that sorted . Likewise England refused the EU help so must be ok. We will need what we can make here , ICU beds filling fast .
@Imagine !: we will need every ventilator we can get our hands on and then some….like Italy the time is going to come when nurses and doctors will have to make the choice of who gets the ventilator and who dies. Most countries even western countries are not ready or capable of handling what’s about to come
@Imagine !: have a look at Open Source ventilators on google. Massive progress being made in and open source cheap ventilator. As regards ventilators in Ireland we make 50% of the worlds total output.
@Bríd Uí Mhaoluala: So you listen to the village idiot from the country that has more live cases on a daily basis and more people dying daily now. Starting a sentence with trump said…… Well it leads to sarcasm at best if not outright abuse. Boris “I shook everybody’s hand” Johnson is another oddball
@Imagine !: look up @AaronDHannon on Twitter. He’s designing ventilators for those countries that desperately need them. The design drawings are nearly finished. He has some go fund me page as he wanted to raise money quickly.
@Gary Kearney: We don’t make 50% of the worlds ventilators. Hamilton (America) produce 15,000 annually while a chinese company produces 3000 per month. Medtronic in galway produced 250 per month before the crisis raising to 500 per month now. There are about 5 more major producers around the world so no way we cpuld be producing 50%
And are HCW who are vulnerable under the list going to be made work? See the little clause – *or any essential/key worker advice should be sought from Occupational Health who can give specific advice on individual conditions.https://t.co/8BvWb5ruQg
What if your 80 year-old rebellious father says that this is a load of rubbish and he will be going out anyway? How likely is it that the Guards will do anything about it if he goes out regardless?
@Kevin Murphy: Maybe do his shopping for him anyway, whether he likes it or not. That will give him 1 less excuse to go out. When/if the situation gets worse and people he knows are on ventilators he might cop on.
Having a child with special needs and a partner who works in a supermarket.
How on earth do I keep her well, what about retail workers, they must be at risk to bringing it back to their families.
I’m on immunosuppressants. How do i know if its “sufficient to significantly increase risk of infection”? Its a bit vague and it’s hard getting anyone to answer the phone. I’m due back in work Monday and I’m panicking a bit if I’m honest.
My wife has a heart condition and is waiting to have a stent put in . Though is only in her fifties and still works full time in her office at home .Does she fall into the cocooning category ?
@christopher banahan: if she’s waiting for a stent yes . Please keep her home as much as she can , unless she’s already taking anti coagulants as a precaution while waiting . It depends how severe it is but ring the GP for advice inclusively it may be of benefit for her to walk gently . Ask her GP ASAP.
This exposes a big gap in modernisation: while it’s very hard to get groceries delivered these days, except from someone helping you out, in Ireland it’s not legally permitted to deliver medicines by post at all.
This is anomalous, as most other European countries permit and regulate this. So if you don’t have someone to go to the pharmacy for you, you better not need any prescriptions.
And even you have someone, you could reduce the number of people going to pharmacies, waiting in queues etc., if this were in place.
@Ed W Couple of things you could do. If you get up at around 5 am with the order ready to go, you may get a slot. . Bear in mind it will be about 2-3 weeks ahead. Do this every week. You can make changes neared to the time
@Ed W : Couple of things you could do. If you get up at around 5 am with the order ready to go, you may get a slot. . Bear in mind it will be about 2-3 weeks ahead. Do this every week. You can make changes neared to the time
Quiz: How much do you know about Daniel O'Connell?
3 mins ago
12
Internal violence
Israeli tactics leave dangerous security vacuum in Gaza which Hamas continues to exploit
1 hr ago
1.3k
Met Éireann
Status Yellow weather warnings issued ahead of Storm Floris
11 hrs ago
64.4k
52
Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 216 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage . Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework. The choices you make regarding the purposes and vendors listed in this notice are saved and stored locally on your device for a maximum duration of 1 year.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Social Media Cookies
These cookies are set by a range of social media services that we have added to the site to enable you to share our content with your friends and networks. They are capable of tracking your browser across other sites and building up a profile of your interests. This may impact the content and messages you see on other websites you visit. If you do not allow these cookies you may not be able to use or see these sharing tools.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 150 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 197 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 160 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 120 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 121 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 51 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 48 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 178 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 78 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 112 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 117 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 51 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 66 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 37 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 123 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 127 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 95 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 68 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 117 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 104 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
have your say