A Tipperary survivor of Child Sexual Abuse has been announced as an Ambassador for CARI.
The charity, also known as Children at Risk Ireland, has launched an appeal to raise €85,000 to fund their yearly cost of running their helpline which at present is not Government funded.
In order to help get the message out there prominent Tipperary businessman and former Toomevara hurler Tony Delaney has become a CARI Ambassador after he opened up about how he was sexually abused by a club player when he was just a boy.
Chief executive and clinical officer Emer O’Neill says it is really important to have people like Tony on board to de-stigmatise the subject.
She told Tipp FM about who uses their helpline service.
“It is mainly parents of carers and professionals phone as well, and it is looking for information and support. A lot of parents would phone that their child has just told them that they have been hurt or someone is touching them inappropriately and parents don’t know what to do they feel very upset, overwhelmed, angry, disbelief and very much alone and isolated and they don’t know what to do and that is where the helpline comes in to support parents and carers.”
Tony Delaney shared his story of abuse on Tipp Today, saying he understands first-hand the impacts that it can have on a child’s life and into your adult life.
He is appealing along with CARI – to 85 people, businesses, or groups to try and raise €1,000 each to go towards the costs.
Emer says that this helpline is often the first point of contact for many and is desperately needed to help those impacted.
She told Tipp FM that having people like Tony on board is crucial to their work.
“Tony is an example of somebody who has been impacted by child sexual abuse but the abuse doesn’t define him he is very successful business man and it is really, really great to see but it also gives reassurance to parents that child sexual abuse doesn’t have to define their child and there is
