Sexual violence survivors given chance to be heard

In June 2023, RTÉ News reported on the launch of We-Speak, a new online platform from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC). The platform gives survivors of sexual violence in Ireland a place to tell their stories in their own words, reclaim their narratives, and offer encouragement to others. Irish Tech News reported the same day that DRCC developed We-Speak in consultation with Our Wave.

A New Option for Untold Stories

RTÉ described We-Speak as the first anonymous online platform of its kind for survivors to share their experiences in their own time, from wherever they feel safe. It builds on We-Consent, a three-year DRCC campaign to spark open and meaningful conversations about sex. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, We-Consent campaign manager Sarah Monaghan pointed to national data showing that many survivors never tell anyone what happened to them. She said the platform offers them a new, secure way to share on their own terms.

Ending Isolation Through Community

Monaghan said callers to the DRCC helpline often describe feeling alone after sexual violence. She explained that a community of stories shows each survivor that their experience matters, whatever its details. "Your story matters," she said on RTÉ's Morning Ireland. She added that the stories shared so far reflect a wide range of experiences, well beyond the narrow picture many people hold of sexual violence.

Built Around Privacy and Control

According to Monaghan, stories are anonymized after submission, with anything that could identify the survivor or others removed before publication. Each survivor keeps control over their story for as long as it remains on the site, and support services are offered to everyone who shares.

Read the full story in RTÉ News.