President Michael D Higgins has paid tribute to the Women of Honour as “the bravest of the brave” in coming forward to expose the horrific abuse in our Defence Forces.
A report from the Independent Review Group revealed the true scale of the shocking abuse that was taking place in the military here.
The lengthy report from the Group said that “neither men nor women in the Defence Forces are working in a safe working environment”.
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It then went on to detail some examples of “tubbing”, “beasting” or “mobbing” that were described to those conducting the report.
Tubbing is described as “the placing of an individual in a barrel, which may contain any combination of chemicals, oil, airplane fuel, deceased animal carcasses, or other substances, for the purposes of hazing or punishment”.
There were also shocking accounts or rapes and beatings received by Members, which led some women to have to put two locks on their doors.
President Higgins was speaking out on Friday afternoon in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Defence Forces.
In a measured statement, the President praised the bravery and determination of the women behind the campaign to have the crimes against Defence Forces members recognised.
President Higgins said: “It is with a sense of shame but also so much hurt for those serving women and men who had dedicated their lives to serving our country and to working as international peacekeepers and who have been abused while serving as members of the Defence Forces, that I read the Report of the Independent Review Group.
“Those who were abused were often abused by those who, having a higher rank, held a position of power over them in what was a deeply hierarchical organisation.
“What has been revealed in this report, a report made possible by the coming forward of some of the bravest of the brave to have served our country, was not a simple set of random occurrences.
“It is explicitly stated in the Report that there is a continuing systemic problem of incidents of bullying, harassment, discrimination and sexual harassment within the Defence Forces.
“This must be of the deepest concern to us all, including those in the Defence Forces who are anxious to serve their country to the best of their abilities and so many who are doing so at home and abroad.
“May I particularly recognise the contribution of the Women of Honour, the Men and Women of Honour, both of which groups I have had the privilege of meeting at Áras an Uachtaráin, and all those who have brought these issues to light by sharing their profoundly traumatic personal experiences of abuse within the Defence Forces, both within and outside of the structures of the review.”
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