Pursuing justice: 'The longer it takes, the longer that hell continues'
Claire has given up her legal right to stay anonymous – because she wants to try to help make the justice system work better for abuse survivors like her.
Claire Rafferty was sexually abused in the 1990s, when she was a child. She reported the crime to police in 2018. But her abuser was only sentenced in April 2022. Claire isn't alone in having to wait years for justice to be served in Northern Ireland.
The most serious cases - which are heard in the crown court - take months longer on average here than in England and Wales. One of the reasons is the political instability in this part of the UK. The Northern Ireland Justice Minister has warned that without additional funding, it could take until 2028 for the pandemic backlog in the courts to be cleared.
For 5 Minutes On, Claire has given up her legal right to anonymity because she'd like to see the justice system improve - and she wants to encourage other abuse survivors to come forward. She's been speaking with the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s Ireland Correspondent, Chris Page.
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