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Irish Times
7 days ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Domestic abuse victims say their ordeals continue or even worsen despite family law proceedings
Adult and child victims of domestic abuse are being 'retraumatised' during family law proceedings, research suggests, with almost all those affected being subjected to abuse after separation and during court cases. While the prevalence of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) in all family law cases is disproportionately high, the Irish family law system as a whole 'is not sufficiently DVA informed or responsive', according to the research report. Women's Aid , which commissioned the research, said this 'systemic blind spot' left victims feeling disbelieved, silenced and at risk from further abuse. The study, which involved almost 440 victims of DVA, was carried out by Trinity College Dublin and University College Cork . READ MORE Victims described their experience of family law proceedings as 'horrific', 'retraumatising' and 'relentless', with one woman saying: 'It's essentially a stage for the abuse to continue.' The study argues that the courts and the family law system often operate under the 'flawed assumption' that once a couple separate then any violence or abuse is considered to be historical. 'This premise can lead to decisions and judgments that may not fully account for the ongoing risks or impacts of abuse on the victim-survivors, as it overlooks the possibility that abuse can continue even after separation,' it said. Among participants who were victims of DVA, 91 per cent of women and 93 per cent of men indicated that abuse continued or began post-separation and while proceedings were under way. 'The abuse never stopped after separation, it just changed,' one woman said. A common perception among participants was that perpetrators were able to 'play' the system to maintain control or cause disruption to inflict harm on former partners by repeat summoning or through multiple adjournments. Researchers found that the court's 'neutral stance' regularly failed to capture subtle, nuanced patterns of abuse. Most victims also indicated that forms of abuse such as coercive control, emotional abuse, financial abuse and stalking increased post-separation. Victims managing court-ordered access, meanwhile, reported intimidation and threats while handing their children over, with 78 per cent of victims experiencing ongoing problems or abuse connected with access arrangements. To avoid being charged with violating court-ordered access, victims were required to engage with their abuser, which 'frequently provided court-sanctioned opportunities for further abuse to occur'. Some women reported assaults, threats, intimidation and manipulation, while others perceived court-ordered access being used by abusers as an 'ongoing tactic of control and abuse'. Women also reported being wrongly accused of 'parental alienation' when they said their children did not wish to go on visits because of their experiences of DVA. A common theme arising from interviews with child participants was feeling unsafe during access or contact with their father, with a 14-year-old girl saying: 'You just don't know what he's going to do next.' Most children perceived their experiences as being discounted or disbelieved and their wishes being ignored throughout proceedings. Trinity College Professor Stephanie Holt, the chief investigator for the study, said it provided evidence and insights into a 'fundamentally flawed' family law system when dealing with victims of domestic abuse. 'The findings paint a predominantly negative picture of that journey through the family law system for adult and child victim-survivors of domestic violence and abuse,' she said. Sarah Benson, chief executive of Women's Aid, said while there were some examples of informed practices, it was 'completely inadequate when the system itself is not attuned and responsive to the tactics and impacts of domestic abuse post-separation'. Women's Aid is urging the Government to 'fundamentally reform' the family law system in a DVA-informed manner which would include compulsory domestic abuse training for all professionals.
BBC News
16-05-2025
- BBC News
Millions more affected by domestic abuse
One-in-four adults in England and Wales are believed to have experienced domestic abuse since the age of 16, up from one-in-five, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).New questions have been added to the official crime survey covering topics like controlling and coercive behaviour and the harm it means several million more people are thought to have suffered abusive behaviour from family members or partners than previously new data, for the year ending March 2024, gives the most detailed picture yet of how common different types of abusive behaviour are, suggesting 18% of adults have suffered emotional abuse and 12% economic abuse. Not all abusive behaviours cross the line into criminal levels of domestic abuse, researchers on the severity of abuse was not published on Friday, but is expected in figures were published on the same day as a report from MPs calling for better data on violence against women and girls (VAWG).The Public Accounts Committee highlighted the need for improved information how much violence women and girls face, on the needs of support services, evidence on the interventions that reduce violence and co-ordination across government departments to halve VAWG. The Home Office said the new data is "essential to help us better understand the scale of domestic abuse and how we halve violence against women and girls".Domestic abuse charity Women's Aid, which helped the ONS and University of Bristol develop the new questions has welcomed the change."Women's Aid has for many years been concerned that the questions in the survey have failed to adequately capture the lived experience of victim-survivors of domestic abuse" said Sarika Seshadri, their Head of Research and Evaluation. The definition of domestic abuse in law has changed a lot over the past decade. Coercive control was first made a crime in 2015, years before the 2021 Domestic Abuse Act explicitly defined some of its major forms, including economic Office for National Statistics (ONS) adapted its gold-standard crime survey to reflect the shift in understanding of abuse and better reflect the experiences of survivors. Some of the new questions ask about manipulative behaviour, including whether a partner or family member had tried to convince the respondent's friends they were "crazy"; acted in an "overly jealous way"; or had threatened to hurt or kill themselves if the respondent did not do what they new survey also asks if a family member or partner had threatened to discredit the respondent using sensitive personal information, such as their sexuality or immigration were collected privately using tablets, unlike the spoken interviews used for other to the new data, about 12.6 million people in England and Wales - 26% of the population - had experienced abusive behaviours by family or partners since age of 16, including 30% of women and 22% of figures did not account for the number of incidents or harm suffered. Women are more often the target of repeated or more severe than three-quarters of the 108 domestic homicide victims in the year to March 2024 were women.
The Sun
07-05-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Cops found guilty of gross misconduct will automatically be sacked automatically under new rules to drive up standards
POLICE officers found guilty of gross misconduct will automatically be sacked under new rules to drive up standards. It comes after 56 of the 563 cops judged to breached rules to that level last year were still allowed to keep their jobs. 2 The new legislation from May 28 will also make serious criminal offences such as rape and GBH automatically amount to gross misconduct under law. Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said: 'We place a huge amount of faith and trust in the police officers we see in our communities. 'And it is vital that only those fit to wear the uniform are serving the public. 'We cannot let the majority of officers, who are brave and committed to keeping us safe, be tarnished by the few who commit serious criminality or gross misconduct. 'They, and the public, deserve certainty those unfit to serve will be dismissed.' The new laws follows last month's announcement that officers who fail background checks will be sacked automatically. Victims' Commissioner Baroness Newlove said: 'Today's changes are a welcome and necessary step toward restoring public trust - and reaffirming the values policing must uphold. 'Too often and for far too long, red flags have been missed, minimised or ignored.' Isabelle Younane, of Women's Aid, also said it was 'essential' for women to be able to trust reporting their experiences of abuse to police officers, and that they are not speaking to someone accused of misconduct relating to violence against women and girls themselves. She added: 'These reforms, alongside those announced previously, are positive first steps to improving women's trust in the police. 'We continue to urge for further action to ensure that no individuals with the misogynistic attitudes and beliefs that underpin VAWG (violence against women and girls) are eligible to join.' Police officer has SEX with drunk stranger he helped home as To Catch a Copper lifts lid on the 'real' Line of Duty 2
Sky News
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Politics latest: Farage urged to suspend new Reform councillor over 'utterly disgusting' Hitler meme
All police officers guilty of gross misconduct will be sacked under new rules The government is making it easier to fire rogue officers, in an effort to restore trust in the police. Under new rules coming into effect on 28 May, there will be a presumption that all officers found guilty of gross misconduct will be dismissed - unless there are exceptional circumstances. Currently, hundreds of officers are managing to avoid being sacked even when found guilty of the most serious offences. Last year, 56 officers remained in post after being found guilty of gross misconduct, while more than 500 quit before they were dismissed. Diana Johnson, the policing minister, said: "We are sending the clear message that no matter where you are in the country, the officers serving on our streets are only of the highest standards." 'Essential' women can trust police Under the changes, serious criminal offences will automatically equate to gross conduct - a concept not currently defined in law. The new rules will also speed up the gross misconduct hearings process both for current officers but also for former officers. The Home Office has said this is so that swift justice can be served on those who resign or retire before their gross misconduct proceedings. The new proposals have been welcomed by charity Women's Aid, who said it is "essential" that women are able to trust police officers and know they haven't been accused of violence against women and girls. The Home Office said further measures will be brought in later this year to bolster national vetting standards.
