Investigations launched into 12 cases of garda domestic and sexual abuse misconduct

Labour leader Ivana Bacik said the unit's work should be advertised and publicly reported on by An Garda Síochána.

A recently formed unit within the Office of the Garda Ombudsman, Fiosrú, has begun 12 investigations into gardaí accused of domestic and sexual abuse.

The unit, set up in November, has been allocated:

• 12 investigations where a garda is an alleged perpetrator. Of these, eight are public complaints and four are referrals from within An Garda Síochána.
• 23 investigations where a garda is alleged to have failed to properly deal with a report of domestic and sexual abuse.

It is understood that the specialist services unit within Fiosrú was put in place following the guilty plea last year by Garda Trevor Bolger for the 2012 assault of his then wife, Margaret Loftus. 

The Irish Examiner has spoken with three other women whose cases have been deemed as admissible for investigation by Fiosrú since the unit was established.

One of the victims was arrested four times on foot of complaints made against her by her husband, whom she claims was coercively controlling her.

One of the arrests was just days before Fiosrú informed her that a complaint she has made about the garda handling of her allegations was admissible.

'Closed ranks'

Labour leader Ivana Bacik, who requested the figures from minister for justice Jim O'Callaghan, said: "The figures revealed to me are concerningly high given that this new unit was set up just months ago, and its functions had not been extensively advertised. 

"I pay tribute to Margaret Loftus for raising awareness of the manner in which the institution of An Garda Síochána closed ranks in her case. Similarly, the work of Women’s Aid in publishing annual reports on victims’ satisfaction with garda responses to their complaints is to be commended."

Ms Bacik said the unit's work should be advertised and publicly reported on by An Garda Síochána.

In December, human rights lawyer and the former chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Noeline Blackwell, was appointed as an expert adviser to Fiosrú on domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.

In making the announcement, police ombudsman Emily Logan said: “Our role as an independent oversight body is to work to improve the safety of victims of domestic/sexual abuse and the policing response through our investigation of complaints."