Irish Examiner View: Stand up to domestic violence

This week, the Department of Justice and Equality and relevant services launched a campaign to highlight that class supports continue to be available. File picture.

How sad, and how revealing, that the pandemic has made it necessary to reassure victims of domestic violence that emergency services remain open.

How sad and revealing, too, it is that some victims trapped in an abusive relationship or environment may not be able to even reach those services.

This week, the Department of Justice and Equality and relevant services launched a campaign to highlight that class supports continue to be available. The gardaí have promised that abuse complaints will get priority.

Though support groups have not seen a notable increase in calls since the pandemic struck, there are concerns about below-the-radar violence and abuse.

“Are we hearing about it? We are not,” said Dublin Rape Crisis Centre boss Noeline Blackwell, “The volume of calls to our helpline has not increased but what has increased is the intensity.”

It would be amazing and cheering too if there was not an increase in domestic abuse at this time. Circumstances make it almost inevitable, if utterly unacceptable.

One of the unfortunate and enduring legacies of colonialism is that the idea of reporting someone to the authorities for wrongdoing is unacceptable. The ‘snitch’ remains an outcast figure in one strand of our culture.

How bizarre, how cowardly, especially in this instance where a fellow citizen — and human being — is knowingly left at the mercy of a brute.

Speak up, stand up.