Domestic violence charity calls for 'joined-up thinking' to support victims
Vivienne Clarke
The chief executive of a domestic violence charity has called for “joined-up thinking” by the Government in the provision of services for victims of domestic violence.
David Hall of Sonas told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that there needed to be a coordinated and victim-centred response, where individuals could make one phone call and receive appropriate assistance, including access to refuge spaces.
He said there was inconsistency in services leading to situations where women and children were turned away – 379 women and 700 children in the last year.
Mr Hall called for more pathways in and out of refuge centres and greater focus on addressing the legal and housing challenges faced by victims.
The charity boss said that when a victim made a call for help “they should only have to tell the story once. When you dial 999, you get a triage response from the various emergency services, and assistance is given to you in an appropriate way and appropriate assistance.
“Some people do need refuge. Some people do not need refuge. But in circumstances where you do need refuge, you cannot have a situation where somebody is being signposted all over the country to multiple agencies, multiple organisations with an inconsistency of advice and guidance has been given.”
He said there should be one agency that ensured a victim could receive the help they needed with one phone call.
It was time to take the situation seriously and stop paying lip service, Mr Hall said.
He also claimed that services were inconsistent and said there should be a dedicated Garda unit dealing with domestic violence.
“The court service unintentionally re-abuses these women and children to a family law setting, where you're in the same building, in the same courtroom as your abuser.”
Mr Hall said “all the dots need to be joined” – the legal system, GP services, housing.
“There's no joined up thinking, there's no individual responsible within the different departments.”
