Judicial system 'weaponised' against woman domestically abused by garda husband

Domestic abuse victim Margaret Loftus speaking in the AV room Leinster House on Wednesday. Picture: Sam Boal/Collins

Former garda Margaret Loftus, who had been domestically abused by her Garda husband, has said the judicial system was “weaponised" against her.

Ms Loftus spoke to TDs and senators on Wednesday, just weeks after Detective Garda Trevor Bolger avoided jail having received a three-month suspended sentence for his “protracted and vicious” assault.

Ms Loftus said she was appearing as a survivor of domestic abuse, but also a survivor of a “system that caused as much damage and as much trauma as the abuse itself”.

It comes as new figures from the Department of Justice outline how 10 gardaí have barring orders or protection orders against them.

A barring order prevents individuals accused of abusive behaviour from entering the victim’s home, while a protection order bans the accused from contacting, threatening, or being near the victim’s home.

Ms Loftus said Mr Bolger was later promoted by gardaí and given access to firearms, after he had been investigated for threatening to kill her.

His access to firearms was later withdrawn, after a story about the case appeared in the press.

She criticised the gardaí, saying she had been intimidated and punished for seeking to protect herself and her children.

“I had transfers cancelled. I had my pay stopped by unauthorised gardaí. I’d unauthorised Garda welfare checks done on my children where patrol cars were coming into my house to check on them.”

Ms Loftus criticised the operation of the judicial system, saying it had been “weaponised” against her.

She called for TDs to make changes to the legal system.

“You have responsibility to the women, men, and children in this country to deliver a professional, impartial judicial system that should not be causing as much trauma as the crime that occurred to bring them before the system,” Ms Loftus said.

Justice should never rely on those who manage to survive long enough and shout long enough to be heard.

“He [Bolger] was rewarded, allowed to flourish, while I was punished and intimidated.”

Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway Walsh, who organised the briefing, said Ms Loftus had shown “extraordinary bravery and courage” by coming forward to share her story.

“After 14 years of navigating coercive control, silence and systemic failure, she chose to stand up not just for herself, but for every woman who has been failed by the system,” Ms Conway Walsh said.

“Her harrowing experience exposes serious flaws in how victims of domestic abuse are treated within our justice system when their abusers are serving members of An Garda Síochána, and we must now ensure meaningful reform follows.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for Mr O’Callaghan described the meeting as “very constructive”.

A Garda spokesperson said that commissioner Justin Kelly has made it “very clear that there is zero tolerance for domestic abuse outside and inside of An Garda Síochána”.

“An Garda Síochána provides a wide range of internal welfare supports to Garda personnel and such supports should have been provided to the victim and her allegations taken seriously at all stages,” the spokesperson said.

“An Garda Síochána encourages any Garda personnel who are victims of domestic abuse to come forward and reassures them they will be treated sensitively and will be listened to.”