Ireland: a plan to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence

The Irish government wants more transparency on the past of the perpetrators of violence (illustration image).

Getty Images/EyeEm - Kittisak Jirasittichai / EyeEm

Text by: Laura Taouchanov

3 mins

The Irish government signs an unprecedented plan of 360 million euros to fight against domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Several measures will be launched over the next 18 months for a "zero tolerance" approach.

Here are the various measures announced.

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With our correspondent in Dublin,

The first measure, perhaps one of the most awaited, is that the maximum penalties for assault causing harm will double: they go from 5 to 10 years.

You could say that any assault causes harm, but that's the most common type of punishment, there are different stages, the one above is serious harm.

In addition, the law will be toughened with the introduction of an offense for stalking, that is to say the fact of being followed in the street.

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The plan also provides for the creation of additional shelters for victims of violence, particularly in the 9 counties of the country where there are none.

Currently, Ireland only provides 30% of the number of places recommended by the Istanbul Convention, a European treaty to prevent and combat this type of violence.

An effort that the associations have been calling for for a long time in the hope that we can create housing for fathers and their children since currently there are only places for women.

Past of the perpetrators of violence

To avoid as much as possible arriving at an emergency situation, the government wants more transparency on the past of the perpetrators of violence.

Another measure long demanded by the Irish is access to a domestic violence register to find out if one's partner has a violent past.

The terms remain to be defined but

, it will be up to the police to keep this register.

This procedure already exists in the United Kingdom.

In addition, all police officers will have to undergo training to improve the care of a victim when he comes to file a complaint.

With this new plan, it is not just a question of changing justice, the objective is real societal change.

The idea is to change mentalities and for that we must not only focus on repression.

Zero tolerance will be taught from an early age with classes on consent and abusive relationships starting in primary school.

Lack of sex education

It must be said that sex education has long been limited in Ireland since schools are still 90% controlled by the Catholic Church.

From now on, every child will receive the same education, regardless of school and denomination.

The plan will unfold over the next five years.

The Minister of Justice has acknowledged that there is work.

That's why, for the first time, all the departments are going to work hand in hand to make it really work.

For example, for shelters, it will be necessary for child protection, the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Housing to work together.

In any case, one thing is certain, in ten years this is the third plan to tackle domestic and sexual violence and certainly the most ambitious.

►Also read: Ireland: a Secretary of State reveals to Parliament that she was the victim of sexual assault

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