Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Wednesday, 3 November 2021

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality

Women's Shelters and Domestic Abuse Refuges: Discussion

Ms Christina Sherlock:

It may involve not responding. The woman may be told she will receive a call-out but no one shows up. Where there is a call-out, the perpetrator of the abuse might be taken into one room and the woman into another and they might be asked whether they can sort the matter out themselves. The gardaí might ask those involved to calm down and suggest that a garda take the man for a walk, thereby not treating the issue as the very serious issue it is. An unhelpful approach might also be taken by not acting on breaches of the protective orders in place under the Domestic Violence Acts. I refer to where breaches such as someone breaking the terms of his orders by showing up at a place he or she should not be, trying to gain access to the house or putting someone in fear of their safety are not treated as serious and as the criminal matters that they are.