An organisation dedicated to helping female victims of domestic violence has called for an early warning system to identify women at risk.
Aoibhneas Women and Children's Refuge will publish a study later this morning showing that such early risk assessment systems, currently in use in the UK and the US, have been effective in reducing the risk of seriously escalating violence against women by their partners.
140 women have been murdered in Ireland since 1995. 88 of the women murdered in the past 13 years died in their own homes. Almost half of those murdered were killed by a current or ex-partner.
Aoibhneas believes that an early warning system identifying women at risk would save lives.
Warning signs such as previous acts of violence, severity and frequency of violent acts, suicide threats and possession of weapons are among the many indicators used to assess such situations.
Based on the international models in place, women's perception of risk has been found to be the most important indicator of risk of future harm or escalation of violence.
Those idenitified as being at risk could then be targeted by service providers such as the gardai and the HSE.
The study, commissoned from Carndy Murphy and Associates, highlights how such risk assessment models, combined with professional judgement and experience, can be very effective in identifying and preventing violence in intimate relationships.
"Although we recognise the value of risk assessment models in other countries across the world, there is a need to develop these in an Irish context so that those working within front-line services can be trained in the use of such risk assessment models and tools," said Terri Morrissey, chairperson of Aoibhneas Women and Children¹s Refuge. "We have had far too many tragic cases in this country, some of which might have been prevented if the warning signs were properly interpreted and appropriate action taken," she said.