Ms Niamh Wilson:

This also relates to an earlier question. Domestic violence happens because perpetrators have a sense of entitlement, so public awareness campaigns do not work because they do not see such campaigns as speaking to them. They feel entitled to do what they are doing, and international evidence indicates that what creates a deterrent in the community is the criminalisation of perpetrators of domestic violence. That is an evidence-based idea. We need to see criminalisation as a really strong deterrent backed up by strong public awareness campaigns so the public in general can get behind the law.