- “Domestic violence and sexual violence are pernicious evils and a blight on any civilised society” - Minister Fitzgerald
- Funding of €950,00 for a national awareness raising campaign
“My aspiration is that the awareness raising campaign will have a significant impact by making a real and substantial difference to people’s lives, offering hope and support to those affected by these despicable crimes and that it will send an irrefutable message to perpetrators that this violence is totally unacceptable in Ireland and that it must stop” - Minister Fitzgerald
Minister for Justice and Equality, Frances Fitzgerald T.D., has today launched the Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2016-2021 which was agreed by the Government on 13 January 2016.
The strategy, building on its predecessor, which concluded in 2014, envisages a range of actions to be implemented by State, voluntary and community sector organisations aimed at preventing and responding to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.
Minister Fitzgerald stated, “Domestic and Sexual Violence are pernicious evils and a blight on any civilised society. Their complex nature requires a whole of Government solution.”
In developing the strategy, Cosc – the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based violence – has engaged in consultations with a wide range of State and non-State stakeholders. The Minister held two consultative forums with stakeholders to identify and finalise priorities. The strategy is a result of this work.
Minister Fitzgerald added, "The Second National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence reinforces this Government’s ongoing commitment to combat these problems. The overall objective is to make Ireland a safer and better place to live.”
The role of An Garda Síochána and other agencies in the criminal justice system is crucial. Among the strategy’s actions for which An Garda Síochána are responsible is the implementation of a risk assessment for all victims of domestic violence and a focus on recidivists of domestic and sexual violence to prevent and detect crime. A planned and managed approach by An Garda Síochána to each report of a domestic violence incident is provided for including personally calling to victims, in depth risk assessment and the provision of information.
There are also new actions in relation to the provision of provision of education and training of public sector staff involved in this area, by An Garda Síochána, Courts Service, Probation Service, Tusla and HSE. Gaps in academic and professional education for service providers in the community and voluntary sectors will also be addressed. There is provision for initial training and developmental training for ongoing delivery to legal professionals by the Law Society, Bar Council and King’s Inns.
In launching the second national strategy, the Minister announced that she has secured funding of €950,000 for 2016 to run a new national awareness raising campaign which is a key action in the strategy. The campaign will commence in 2016 and it is intended that it will run for a period of 6 years. It will be subject to EU tendering procedures and consultation with non-governmental (NGO) stakeholders.
Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence are crimes that occur in all social classes, all ethnic groups and cultures and among people of every educational background. They are often hidden crimes that can have devastating physical, emotional and financial consequences for victims as well as society as a whole.
This campaign aims to bring about a change in long established societal behaviours and attitudes in relation to domestic and sexual violence, and to activate bystanders with the aim of preventing this violence. The campaign will recognise that women and men are victims of such crimes. The campaign is supported by NGO stakeholders. It is also a requirement under the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention) to promote or conduct public awareness raising campaigns.
The Minister concluded, “My aspiration is that this campaign will have a significant impact by making a real and substantial difference to people’s lives, offering hope and support to those affected by these despicable crimes and that it will send an irrefutable message to perpetrators that this violence is totally unacceptable in Ireland and that it must stop.”
The strategy is available on the Department's website here.
Note for Editors
The multi-annual Strategy outlines a range of both legislative and administrative actions and provides timescales for implementation.
Its actions focus on:
i) Changing societal attitudes through awareness raising to help prevent domestic and sexual violence;
ii) Improving services to victims; and
iii) Holding perpetrators to account.
The strategy includes those actions which, when implemented, will enable Ireland to ratify the Istanbul Convention which is an important instrument in tackling violence against women.
New actions contained in the strategy include:
· A national awareness raising campaign,
· A range of legislative measures including the new Domestic Violence Bill, the Criminal Justice (Victims of Crime) Bill and the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill
· Provision of education and training of public sector staff involved in this area, by An Garda Síochána, Courts Service, Probation Service, Tusla and HSE
· Address gaps in academic and professional education for service providers in the community and voluntary sectors
· Initial training and developmental training for ongoing delivery to legal professionals by the Law Society, Bar Council and King’s Inns
· A range of measures to be undertaken by An Garda Síochána to improve the service provided to victims including implementing a risk assessment for all victims of domestic violence and sexual crime;
· focusing on recidivist perpetrators; and
· A planned and managed approach by An Garda Síochána to each report of a domestic violence incident
· The building of a new family court complex in Dublin; and
· The establishment of a family court system throughout the country.
It is intended that the strategy will be a ‘living document’; additional actions aimed at preventing and responding to domestic, sexual and gender-based violence will be added during the lifetime of the strategy.
It is anticipated that there will be multiple positive impacts for victims of domestic and sexual violence as a result of this strategy:
· As a result of the awareness raising campaign there will be more recognition and understanding of the incidence of domestic and sexual violence among the general public
· Bystander intervention if safe to do so
· A decrease in domestic and sexual violence
· Increased reporting by victims and others and
· Perpetrators / potential perpetrators will be made aware of sanctions of offending.
· The development of education programmes for all levels in the education system should mean that the incidence of and tolerance of sexual and domestic violence will decrease over time,
· The provision of education and training of public sector staff will give rise to more responsive public services for victims,
· Legislative and court service actions will make the family court system more accessible to victims and increase the likelihood that perpetrators will be held to account.
In previous years Cosc has run an awareness raising grant scheme relating to domestic and sexual violence. In the region of €300,000 was allocated annually to NGOs to run national and local projects.
In 2009 Cosc ran a national public awareness raising campaign on domestic and sexual violence entitled ‘YOUR SILENCE FEEDS THE VIOLENCE’ which has continued on-line and by the display of A4 posters in public places.
The Istanbul Convention was signed by Ireland (5 November, 2015) and the Government has agreed an action plan towards ratification of the Convention.