International: better protection on way for DV survivors in Ireland
The Irish Republic’s police service (Garda) will provide professional and expert assistance to victims of domestic violence through protective service units in every policing division by the end of next March.
Victims would be offered help when perhaps at their most vulnerable moment, the Irish Times reported justice minister Charlie Flanagan as telling Parliament (Dail).
Referring to figures released by Garda commissioner Drew Harris that police annually respond to 30,000 domestic abuse calls, Flanagan commented: “Each one of those calls is made by someone who is experiencing a deeply traumatic incident, reaching out for help at a time of crisis.”
Dail member Fiona O’Loughlin said: “We should be disturbed because we, as a society, need to be shaken out of our appalling apathy in relation to the services provided to these women and children.”
