The Sexual Violence Centre Cork was set up on International Women’s Day in 1983 by the trailblazing feminist Mary Crilly to provide services to victims of all forms of sexual violence in Cork City and county. In 2022 Mary was awarded the highest civic honour, ‘Freedom of the City of Cork.’ In her acceptance speech, this remarkable feminist said:
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“As a society, we need to have a zero tolerance for sexual violence. We need to keep talking. We need to keep challenging. We need to change the culture that tolerates sexual violence.”
The Centre has two main aims: to work towards the elimination of sexual violence in society and to provide the highest quality of services to victims of sexual violence.
The Centre provides services to victims of all forms of sexual violence aged 14 and up. Sexual violence is an umbrella term which includes rape, child sexual abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, human trafficking, stalking, forced marriage, female genital mutilation and coercive control.
The Centre supports victims, free of charge, in person or online. Services for victims include a freephone helpline and text service, counselling, information and advice and accompaniment to court or the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit. Support is also offered to friends, families and professionals who are supporting people subjected to sexual violence.
Alongside service provision, the Centre works to eliminate sexual violence in society through education and campaigns. The Centre visits schools and colleges with an education programme, Project Name It. The Centre is involved in a number of campaigns, including #FixedIt Ireland, Cork Against Human Trafficking, Stalking in Ireland, #AskConsent and Safe Gigs Ireland.
The Community Hub
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In 2024, SVCC, Mary Crilly and Dola Twomey launched The Community Hub to address the reduction in community-based activities following the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide a welcome space, hospitality and events offering support for victims of sexual violence, their families and friends. The Community Hub opens SVCC to wider communities through creative and community-building events and workshops, such as coercive control, interactive and forum theatre, through collaborations with MTU, The Crawford Gallery, Creativity and Change, Collective Social Futures at UCC and many others.
Mary Crilly
​Chief Executive (CEO) of the Sexual Violence Centre
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Mary Crilly is a founding member and CEO of the Sexual Violence Centre Cork. Mary has been providing support to victims of sexual violence across Cork city and county for more than 40 years.
As a feminist activist, Mary has a long history of working consistently in the areas of sexual violence, domestic violence, sex trafficking, coercive control, female genital mutilation and stalking. Mary continues to work tirelessly to eliminate sexual violence and to change attitudes and victim blaming in society.
Mary Crilly received a Pride of Cork Award in March 2022 in recognition of her work in the Centre. In June 2022, Mary received the Freedom of Cork City. In 2024, Mary Crilly was awarded a doctorate by the National University of Ireland in recognition of her enormous contribution to society, her active support and many contributions to University College Cork working with student societies and staff, and her work in addressing sexual and social inequalities over a long career working with and for victims of all forms of sexual violence.
Acknowledgement: Many thanks as always for the support and contribution of the Sexual Violence Centre, Mary Crilly and Dola Twomey, who co-authored this text and were central to the development of the project.
Freephone: 1800 496 496
Text/Whatsapp: 087 1533 393
Email: info@sexualviolence.ie
Website: www.sexualviolence.ie
