A woman who was injured during a vicious stabbing attack in Cork over 20 years ago, in which her friend was murdered, has expressed concern that their attacker could be released in the near future.
Sinead O'Leary told RTÉ's Upfront with Katie Hannon that the State is leaving victims in a "very dangerous position" and said she has been left living in fear.
Ms O'Leary said Peter Whelan, who broke into the home of her then 20 year-old friend Nichola Sweeney in Rochestown, Co Cork in April 2002, is to be eligible for parole in the next couple of years.
However, she said that when she went to submit a victim impact statement to his parole hearing, she was told that she must consent to the prisoner having access to this in order for it to be received by the parole board.
She said: "If I did not consent, my submission wouldn't be read.
"It's a very dangerous position that the State is putting victims in. It's nonsensical. I don't really understand why that is continuing."
Ms O'Leary called for a more balanced system to be put in place.
She said she was aware that Whelan had also been allowed out on day release and she called for access to an exclusion order to prevent him coming anywhere close to where she lives.
"I fought really hard to find a level of peace and safety in my life," she said.
"At the moment I live in fear of the day that Peter Whelan could be allowed back in Cork, which would definitely mean I'd have to uproot my life completely and move away from my support system and my family, and it's the same for Nichola's family."
Ms O'Leary was stamped, kicked and stabbed during the attack, as she got ready with her friend for a Saturday night out.
Her friend Nichola was also attacked and suffered a fatal stab wound to her heart.
Whelan was sentenced to 15 years for attempted murder and to life for Ms Sweeney's murder.
The sentences were to run consecutively.
Read more:
Family and survivor angry over killer Peter Whelan's prison day release
