For many survivors of clerical abuse in Ireland, justice hasn’t ended with a conviction; it has only just begun. Sisters Paula and Margaret Martin, from County Donegal, know this all too well. Abused as children by former priest Con Cunningham, the Martins have spent decades trying to make sense of their trauma and to be heard. Their powerful personal journey is now at the heart of a campaign calling on the Catholic Church in Ireland to establish meaningful, consistent engagement between survivors and church leadership across every diocese.
Their abuse began when they were just nine and eleven years old in the 1970s. Cunningham was eventually sentenced in 2021 to 15 months in prison after pleading guilty to eight counts of indecent assault. But as Paula and Margaret have stressed, criminal justice only addressed “one part of pain.” What compounded their suffering was what they describe as years of silence and insufficient care from the Church itself. They reported their abuse to church authorities three times over a 25-year period before the conviction was secured, only to feel repeatedly sidelined.
The turning point came when representatives of the Diocese of Raphoe invited the sisters to a legally-facilitated meeting in Derry with senior clerical figures, including bishops and diocesan administrators. What emerged from this dialogue was a moment of deep validation: for the first time, Paula said, they felt genuinely heard and understood. Margaret described it as lifting “a cloud” that she had carried for 30 years.
That experience lies at the heart of the Martins’ campaign. They are now urging the Catholic Church to adopt a standard practice across all dioceses in Ireland: proactive, mediated engagement that allows survivors to speak directly with church leaders in a structured, safe setting. Their appeal is not only for compassion, but for institutional change that recognises survivors as partners in the Church’s ongoing healing. This approach, they argue, could be transformative for many who continue to carry unresolved trauma.
The Church has responded that there is currently no single policy on mediation across all dioceses, pointing to existing safeguarding personnel and varied restorative practices. A spokesperson for the Irish Catholic Bishops’ Conference said the institution is committed to “continuous learning and responding positively” to those harmed by abuse.
The Martins’ campaign highlights a profound truth: accountability isn’t only about punishment, it’s about listening. Their call for structured dialogue could set a precedent not just in Ireland, but for faith institutions worldwide striving to reconcile with their past. In doing so, they remind us that true healing often begins when survivors are finally given a voice, and that voice is worth listening to.
Image source: RTE