A religious ministry that offers recovery services to drug addicts has defended itself as RTÉ’s prepares to air an investigation into its work.
Victory Outreach, which describes itself as a ‘sustainable transformational ministry’, was founded in 1967 and has over 700 centres and churches worldwide.
It has five centres around Ireland. This evening, Prime Time will air an investigation into the work that Victory Outreach does with drug addicts at its recovery homes.
RTÉ Investigations Unit said it is examining how “vulnerable addicts are working up to 18 hours a day, for no pay”, to raise money for Victory Outreach.
On Today with Sean O’Rourke on RTÉ Radio today, reporter Brian O’Connell spoke about the investigation.
There are an estimated 20,000 heroin addicts in Ireland, but just one professionally supervised detox bed for every 400 addicts in Dublin.
Investigation
The investigation examines how at Victory Outreach’s recovery homes, addicts come off drugs and do not go onto substitutes such as methadone.
There is generally no waiting list for Victory Outreach’s services, said O’Connell, and it is “a nine- to 12-month programme”.
It has a disciplined religious side to it and the recovery centres are not regulated rehabilitation centres.
The investigation alleges that residents are sent out fundraising, such as selling raffle tickets. O’Connell claimed that the programme will show addicts fundraising, “some at 18 hours at a time”.
Stuart Murphy, a spokesperson from Victory Outreach’s Dublin centre, told TheJournal.ie this morning that the show is “focusing on people that have left the recovery centre and they have personal things against the place”.
Source: Aoife Barry, thejournal.ie, 17/12/13
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