28/10/2011
Domestic Abuse primetime Program
After watching the primetime program aired on Thursday night the 27/10/2011 on rte. it is with unsurprising view that we must show our disgust that we see that our national broadcaster and producers behind the primetime program to be still stuck in the stone age in relation to publicly highlighting a important and serious issue such as domestic violence in Ireland.
When are we going to wake up and realize that domestic violence is known to be inflicted on men women children and the elderly?
We have a exceptional support and intervention service available to support women who have suffered domestic violence in the home. It was highlighted on the program that 3200 women were turned away from emergency refuges because of the lack of places available.
How many men left their family home due to domestic violence how?
Many men were turned away from emergency accommodation last year?
Well the figure is unknown as there is no emergency accommodation or crisis intervention services available to deal with male victims of domestic abuse.
Don Hennessy of domestic violence Agency stated that there were 128 calls to Gardaí last year in cork but there was a failure in the Gardaí to follow up on these calls, we believe that these calls would be malicious calls, or where allegations were reported but the reporter withdrew their complaint.
We believe that the Gardaí been under resourced and lack of appropriate training in relation to dealing with domestic abuse issues.
it is believed that women are more at risk of having difficulties in accessing financial supports after following a break up following domestic abuse issues.
During the program there were 4 women interviewed while there was only one man interviewed which mirrors the stats that 1 in five domestic violence incidents is where the man is the victim. There reasons why there are more women reporting domestic abuse is because the law weighs firmly on their side and the reason why children are removed from the family home after a domestic abuse allegations is because when a woman presents herself to refuge or statory service that the state can’t refuse to intervene as it has a duty of care to protect the children. In some cases children are used for the benefit of their mother to gain access to what they want. Don’t these women have extended family they can go to for support just like what men have to do when they are in similar position?
Minister lynch stated there is no places available in the main to support women and children even though admitting that men suffer domestic violence but minister lynch emptied that women are in the main of in need of access to crisis intervention.
Domestic violence is costing the country 25million a year. What percentage of this 25 million is invested into providing crisis intervention for men and their children?
Susan McKay from women’s aid verbalized the experiences of women when not been able to access supports after domestic violence experience, her statement mirrors exactly what men go through after they have been victims of domestic violence.
It is clear from the primetime report that even though that domestic violence is a nationwide issue that it is still portrayed as a women only issue and only focus on intervention for women and their children, fathers and their children are not in the equation either.
Mr. Hennessey should be asked the following question during his involvement in domestic violence intervention in Ireland and the cases he has been involved with how many of these cases were fathers and men with their children seeking support and intervention. Why did he not highlight during his interview the difficulty that men have in relation to crisis intervention when they are forced out of the family home because of their violent partner men have no national structure in place to access similar supports protection or emergency shelter available anywhere in the country, we believe that a single national support for male victims of domestic violence and their children does not meet the needs and demands of what is truly required when they are approached for support.
So our question is where do we go from here what is there that our nations men can do to bring this issue to the fore front of a national and government issue, its time to take our heads out of the sand,
We do not condone any form of violence against men women or children but we would like to see that the issue is addressed on a equality basis not single gender issue.
