Rape crisis groups want 'credible levels of funding' for sexual and domestic abuse services

Wed, 10 Nov, 2021 - 10:00

Cormac O'Keeffe Security Correspondent

Rape crisis groups want to see “credible levels of funding” in the forthcoming third national domestic and sexual violence strategy.

A male domestic violence support group said inequality and discrimination in previous strategies against a victim due to his gender was “unacceptable” and wanted action on suicides and homelessness among male victims.

They were commenting on an implementation report on the Second National Strategy on Sexual, Domestic and Gender Based Violence 2016-2021, published by the Department of Justice.

The 184-page report states that key actions are on track, including a Garda Review into Undetected Sexual Offences, a Garda Risk-Assessment Matrix for responding to domestic and sexual crime and a new bill to strengthen management of convicted sex offenders.

The publication comes just weeks before the third strategy, which is about to go through a final draft, is published.

The ongoing Garda review into unsolved sexual offences is seen as a major action under the plan.

It is covering a three-year time period - 2018, 2019 and 2020 – and examining all cases marked undetected, by reason of withdrawal or attrition. Recent CSO figures suggest a detection rate of about 20% within two years after reporting.

The Garda risk evaluation tool has so far been rolled out in the Dublin Eastern Division and, after a delay caused by Covid, the North Western Region.

The new bill on sex offenders – which the Government says is due very soon - has been promised since 2018 and is actually based on Oireachtas committee recommendations dating back to 2006.

It promises tighter supervision of released offenders, the possible limited disclosure of information by gardaí to third parties and allowing for possible electronic monitoring of offenders.

Commenting on the implementation report, Clíona Saidléar, executive director of Rape Crisis Network Ireland, said they have been promised this legislation “imminently” and said their own submission to it was made in 2018.

She said they had been consulted on the third strategy.

“We are looking for credible levels of funding in concrete and sustained infrastructure and responses as well as prevention,” Ms Saidléar said.

She said that last August the European Institute for Gender Equality estimated that the cost of gender-based violence in Ireland was around €4 billion every year - and called on Government to provide appropriate levels of funding.

Kathrina Bentley, CEO of Men’s Aid Ireland said they wanted to see a “victim-centred approach” in the third strategy.

“To date, the inequality and discrimination against a victim due to his gender is just unacceptable,” she said.

She cited large suicide rates among male victims and high levels of homelessness.

Repeating comments she made last week at an Oireachtas committee, Ms Bentley said it was hard to believe there was still no refuge in Ireland for male victims, saying they continued to “sleep in cars, vans, tents and parents houses”.