The voices in Limerick's courts that break the silence that sexual abuse thrives on

As a newspaper editor, there are certain things one grows used to -  the deadlines, the pressure, the never-ending flow of stories. But there is one thing I will never, ever become desensitised to: the sheer volume of court cases we report on involving crimes of a sexual nature.

Week after week, the local court copy or agency copy from Dublin land on our desk, and with them come stories that are disturbing, harrowing, and heartbreakingly common. These are not isolated incidents. They involve children, teenagers, and adults. The perpetrators come from every walk of life, reminding us that sexual abuse knows no social or economic boundary.

The court proceedings lay bare the horrific details of what occurred. But it is the victim impact statements that leave the deepest mark. They strip away legal terminology and present, with raw honesty, the real cost of these crimes -  the emotional, physical, and psychological trauma carried by survivors. Because that is the word we must use - survivors. These are individuals who have endured the worst of mankind, and they are still standing.

A growing number of survivors are now choosing to waive their right to anonymity so that their abuser can be publicly named. This is especially courageous in cases where familial ties mean that doing so also exposes their own identity. Still, many are standing up and saying, enough. And that courage cannot be overstated.

We often pride ourselves on being a more open, more educated Ireland - one where sex and consent are topics of public conversation. Yet the cunning, manipulation, and cruelty of abusers persist, often masked in positions of trust, influence and power.

While most cases we report involve young women, there are also men, and, this week on the court page of our paper, we report on one such male survivor.

READ MORE: Wailing and screaming in Limerick courtroom as convicted rapist led away to begin sentence

His voice, like so many others, matters deeply. Speaking out about any abuse is hard. Speaking about sexual abuse which strikes at the very core of personal identity takes another level of strength.

For every case that comes to court, how many go unspoken? How many are carried silently to the grave?

Digital platforms, despite their many flaws, have opened doors once firmly closed. They allow survivors to hear echoes of their own pain in the voices of others and to realise they are not alone.

To those who speak out: your voices matter. May they continue to rise. May they continue to shatter the silence that abusers thrive on.  May they inspire. May they heal.