Call for specialist Garda training on sexual violence

THE Rape Crisis Network will highlight the need for specialist Garda training on sexual violence when it meets Justice Minister Dermot Ahern today.

Mr Ahern is meeting 40 groups working with victims of crime to listen to their concerns and outline details of his Victims of Crime Initiative.

The network said the entire investigate process around sexual violence needed to improve.

The group’s Cliona Saidlear said it was important not just to increase Ireland’s low conviction rate for sex crime, but to improve the quality of service to victims.

“We are looking for client satisfaction with the service, so to speak. All too often it varies. You can be lucky and have a fantastic experience or you can get unlucky, which is not acceptable. You need uniformity through specialisation and training, policy and guidelines.”

She said they wanted general training on sexual violence for all gardaí.

“This is to ensure that if you walk into a Garda station as a victim that you are greeted effectively, that the person who meets you has some training and there are some protocols in place.”

Ms Saidlear said they also wanted what are called “chaperone officers”, who have had detailed training on investigating sexual violence and are based in local areas.

“Within an hour they would contact you and stay with you and is your link person throughout. In the UK, this person gets four weeks of training and two of those are taken up entirely in how to get the best statement from the complainant.”

Joan Dean, of Advocates for Victims of Homicide, said they expected to have “fairly intense discussion” with the minister in relation to the rights of families to give victim impact statements in the courts.

“What the minister said he was going to do is very vague and we’re keen to ensure that becomes a workable change and isn’t just window dressing. It needs to be quite a radical change.

“The first thing families of homicide victims need is to be designated as victims of crime in order to get some rights in law. Following from that, the actual legislation around victim impact statements needs to be changed. We need to see what his intentions are,” she said.

Sally Hanlon, of Support After Crime Services, said the most important thing she wanted from the minister was an “acknowledgement” of the work they did.

“The best way he can do that is by providing adequate funding and guaranteeing that funding over a period of at least three years,” she said.