As latest figures from Women’s Aid Annual Report show domestic violence levels at their highest ever levels in the organisation’s 50 year history.
The Chair of the ‘Safer Clare Campaign‘ has renewed her calls for an immediate increase of the numbers of emergency housing units for victims fleeing domestic abuse.
Safer Clare’s June Dillion says “The figures just released from Women’s Aid paint a really grim and frightening picture. Domestic abuse is a tragedy for the victim and the entire family. It is a gross injustice to the person who is attacked, leading to far-reaching harmful and traumatic repercussions. “It is frightening to think of the impact domestic violence has on individuals, families and wider society. It impacts health, financial security, housing, the ability to participate in society.”
Since the inception of the Safer Clare Campaign, we have consistently called for an increase in the number of emergency housing units for those suffering from domestic violence in Clare. Currently there are only 6 family units provided by Clare Haven Services and while the organisation does absolutely trojan work, the number of units is clearly not enough.
Ms Dillon believes “An increased number of emergency units would give victims the refuge they desperately need and the courage to get out of the dangerous situations they are in, as they would have confidence in knowing there was somewhere to go.“
We are calling for increased sentencing for the perpetrators of gender-based and domestic violence. It’s blatantly clear that the problem of domestic violence is getting worse. There is definitely a coarsening in society, this is plain to see. People are openly becoming more aggressive, in shops, on the roads and most seriously of all in homes up and down the county of Clare.
Shockingly, the Report highlights a total of 41,432 disclosures of abuse against women, and 5,333 disclosures of abuse of children. In some cases, the abuse these women experienced led to miscarriages, hyper vigilance, and homelessness. A third were abused by their ex-partners and faced weapon threats, surveillance, and threats to their children’s lives. Such abuse demands full legal action against perpetrators.
The Safer Clare Campaign advocates for better training for Gardaí in handling these situations. The report revealed that 44% of women found the Gardaí unhelpful, which is shocking and very sad. Women often feel trapped and unable to disclose abuse; it takes courage to seek help and when victims do, they must be accorded the decency and dignity they deserve. Proper protocols must be in place for disclosures, and a major issue is there are too few Gardaí.
The change in sentencing guidelines for domestic violence is positive, but we need legislation for a mandatory minimum sentence in severe cases. Abusers who cause miscarriages, threaten children, or prevent disclosure deserve far more than the current 3-year maximum sentence.
Figures obtained by Aontu in October 2024 from the Minister of Justice, revealed that the Clare/Tipperary Garda Division recorded 2423 domestic abuse incidents in 2023. The figure has steadily tripled from 2014 where 719 incidents were reported.