Sexual assault survivor says she felt abandoned by the HSE once she turned 18

A survivor of sexual assault says she felt she was abandoned by the HSE once she turned 18.

Gillian was raped when she was 9 years old and had been getting free counselling from the Health Service until it was cut off unexpectedly for her after her 18th birthday.

She says because she didn’t earn much in her job she couldn’t afford to pay for the counselling she needed and completely relapsed.

Gillian says it’s only with the help of Teach Tom and the Rape Crisis Centre that she has been able re-take control of her life.

But speaking on KCLR Live today, she says she felt her initial HSE counselling shouldn’t have been cut off so suddenly.