Violence against women: new office not the answer

FOLLOWING a special meeting of the Violence Against Women (VAW) non-governmental sector, we strongly rejected the recently announced COSC: the Irish Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence (Irish Examiner, May 17).

Over the past 30 years we have worked with successive governments to address women’s protection, services and prevention of all forms of such violence. The taskforce report of 1997 adopted a UN definition of all forms of violence against women and supported the development of an integrated approach to domestic violence, as well as to rape and sexual assault.

The new COSC office has major shortcomings that gives us cause for serious concern. The new office has a remit that: