Double discrimination, disabled and sexually abused

Sexual abuse is a taboo subject for most of the victims. Especially if they are disabled. A not well-known phenomenon upon which the Irish Government decided to make an ad hoc statement throwing more light on it. Three major directions emerged from this report. Firstly, for disabled people it is difficult, if not impossible, to communicate the violence, especially when the victims are lonely adults. In fact, unlike children, they cannot rely on the watchful eye of parents who possibly are concerned about promptly report the incident. Not to mention that 90% of abuse occurs at home by family members or acquaintances and almost all the victims have multiple disabilities. Finally, if the shame felt by those who have been raped often leads to isolation and social exclusion, in the case of disabled people, it exacerbates their already high vulnerability.