Cabinet to examine ‘zero tolerance’ measures on gender-based violence

The Cabinet is expected to examine a raft of tough new ‘zero tolerance’ measures when it meets this week to address the issue of gender-based violence in society raised by the murder of young Offaly woman Ashling Murphy. These may include a review of bail laws.

The centrepiece of the response will be a new strategy on domestic and gender-based violence which will be published in March.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said the strategy would have a clear goal of ensuring violence perpetrated against women would no longer be tolerated in Irish society.

“There is one clear goal: zero tolerance of violence against women,” she said. “What is being set out is four key pillars: protection, prevention, prosecution and policy co-ordination.”

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Sources also said on Sunday that the Cabinet might take a fresh look at bail laws to see if the outcome of the 1997 referendum on bail had been fully implemented over the past 25 years. The amendment to the Constitution gave the State more powers to keep in detention individuals who were considered to pose the greatest risk of committing serious offences while on bail.

Speaking at the event to commemorate the centenary of the foundation of the State at Dublin Castle, Ms McEntee said the prevention part of the strategy would include all-encompassing education programmes.

Victims of gender-based violence would have all the protections they need in the criminal justice system under the strategy, she said. There was work ongoing on how the criminal justice system works for victims as they go through the process, she added.

The strategy would be set out in a clear way, with strong structures and clear targets for delivery.

“Education will be key to the new strategy on domestic and gender-based violence. [There will be] elements of my own strategy on a victim’s journey in the justice system. We will be educating everyone from young people [up],” she said.

The Department of Justice disagreed with the suggestion that the response was reactive to the events of the past week, saying Ms McEntee has been working on it for a year and has focused hugely on this issue since becoming Minister.

Dáil debate

The murder of Ms Murphy is expected to dominate proceedings in the Oireachtas when it returns on Wednesday. Statements from party leaders have been included on the provisional schedule, as has a debate on a Sinn Féin Private Members’ Motion on gender-based violence.

The strategy is also expected to include comprehensive data on the incidence and prevalence of sexual abuse and assault.

There was no data on the extent of such assaults until the Sexual Assault and Violence survey in 2002 which estimated the prevalence of sexual violence among Irish women and men throughout their lives. It surveyed more than 3,000 randomly selected Irish adults.

New data on the prevalence of abuse and assaults of this nature will be published in the wake of extensive and comprehensive research carried out by the Central Statistics Office. It is expected to give the most accurate indication to date of the incidence of such assaults and abuse in Irish society.