Una Ring and Eve McDowell: 'We have taken our power back'

Una Ring: 'It’s a proud day. I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved so far and hopefully this legislation will go through quickly.' File picture: Larry Cummins.
The two women who are spearheading a campaign for a specific stalking offence in Irish law say they feel they have “taken their power back” after legislation was introduced in the Seanad to make it a standalone criminal offence.
Una Ring and Eve McDowell were in the Seanad on Wednesday as Fianna Fáil Seanad leader Lisa Chambers introduced the Non-Fatal Offences against the Person Stalking (Amendment) Bill, which proposes a new crime of stalking be put on the statute book, with a maximum sentence of 10 years.
Ms Ring said she was delighted to see a positive outcome from an intensely negative experience in her life.
“It’s a proud day. I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved so far and hopefully this legislation will go through quickly. We will do everything we can to make sure it does,” she said.
“I feel like we are getting our power back a little bit.
“But today, this move is getting that power and control back.”
The two women joined forces in April to spearhead the campaign just a month after Ms Ring’s stalker, James Steele, 52, with an address in Rosscarbery, Co Cork, was jailed for seven years, with the last two years suspended, for subjecting her to a terrifying ordeal of stalking and harassment.
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He was arrested outside her home in Youghal last year carrying a metal crowbar, a rope, duct tape and a sex toy.

Ms McDowell’s stalker, Igor Lewandowski, 21, with an address in Galway, stalked her first before he was arrested in May 2019 after breaking into her apartment in Galway armed with a clawhammer, and assaulted her housemate.
He was jailed in May 2020 for seven years after pleading guilty to harassment and aggravated assault.
Both men were charged with, among other things, harassment, under Section 10 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.
But Ms Ring, Ms McDowell, and Ms Chambers all believe the wording in the act isn’t prescriptive or clear enough when it comes to stalking, and that an update of harassment laws did not deal sufficiently with the issue of stalking.

Ms Chambers said she brought forward the bill after hearing of the experiences of Ms Ring and Ms McDowell, who spoke about their campaign first to the Irish Examiner last April.
Ms Chambers said: “The crime of stalking has a very severe and long-lasting impact on the victim long after the situation has ended. We want to see the victims being listened to.”
Ms McDowell said it was great to see in person the legislation being introduced in the Seanad.
“Several senators spoke to us and this seems to have a lot of support. It’s possibly the most supported I’ve felt during this campaign,” she said.
“This is an immediate issue. If they can push Covid regulations through in a few days, then why can’t this be pushed through.
“This is affecting people mentally and physically.”
She thanked other victims of stalking who have come forward to tell their stories and said support from the public had kept the campaign going.