Domestic violence - Delays leave victims in great danger

THE collapse of a once loving and supportive relationship is always sad.

When that failure ends in violence it is a tragic nightmare for all involved.

Invariably the victim is the woman. Not only must she try to protect herself, often she has to try to defend young, vulnerable children from an estranged, angry and violent man.

Any person in such a dangerous situation should be able to rely on immediate protection from the state. That is not always the case in Ireland in 2010.

In another example of how we have failed to reach the standards that define a modern, advanced society women – or in a minority of cases, a man – have to wait more than two months to get a court hearing to try to get a barring order to protect themselves and their children. Though an initial order to protect the family in the home can be issued by a court clerk, a safety or barring order can only be granted by a court.

Women’s support group Women’s Aid has suggested that unacceptable delays in this legal process have forced women, so often intimidated by violent partners, to drop applications for barring orders.

We already know that very many women decide not to report rape or initiate court proceedings because of the difficulties involved. They are not prepared to expose themselves to the kind of scandalous abuse recently seen in Kerry.

That scandal will do nothing to encourage women who have been attacked or abused to belive that they can expect protection, vindication or justice in our courts, much less our society.

Widespread reluctance to report rape shows how far we have to go to make women feel properly protected and secure and, unfortunately, this delay in hearing barring order applications will deepen those fears.

In 2008 Women’s Aid responded to 10,481 calls, made 418 one-to-one support visits and supported 168 women in court. Some 15,158 incidents of domestic violence were reported, of which 9,101 were of emotional abuse; 3,355 of physical abuse; and 1,900 of financial abuse.

As the economic circumstances of so many families become ever more difficult there is potential for an increase in these figures. It is very difficult for some people to adjust to a new reality, where financial worries dominate their lives, but violent attacks on a partner are never a solution or acceptable.

In its most recent annual report Women’s Aid highlighted this sad reality of modern Ireland.

They reported an increase in financial abuse and reported that more women are unable to escape violent relationships because of the recession and because they are financially dependent on partners.

Though we would all wish our courts might be able to respond more quickly in these cases maybe we should ask ourselves a few questions as well. What kind of culture, what kind of educational system, what kind of social moral compass produces people who can abuse their spouse so badly that the victim has to seek the protection of the courts?

In 2008 there were over 2,000 applications for barring orders and well over 3,000 applications for safety orders. These, even in a small country, are not insignificant figures.

They shine a light into one of the dark corners of Ireland and highlight emotional and physical abuse that are unacceptable in all circumstances.