In December, the NIACRO (North Ireland Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders) echoed IRSP concerns dating back to 2018 and recommended that the DfC treat victims of domestic violence in parity of other forms of intimidation.
The IRSP support this recommendation, however we are concerned that it is now mid March and little progress has been made in this regard.
IRSP member Terri Louise has said, “Countless victims of domestic violence are trapped in their homes and subject to intimidation and violence with no adequate means of escape. As community activists we are working on a number of such cases but we are concerned that the DfC are not taking action on this matter and are more concerned about cost cutting and privatisation”
The IRSP raised the intimidation points issue in 2018, and even though people were being put in danger, it took them 3 years to concede that they were wrong in their review.
IRSP North Belfast Representative and housing activist Tarlach Mac Dhónaill has said, “These victims are being treated in the same manner as the victims of paramilitary intimidation were in 2018. This is because a privatisation agenda renders them as collateral damage. We cannot permit this to continue, action needs taken now.”
“8 women have been killed in the past 12 months, the victims of domestic violence whom we are advising do not believe that they possess the luxury of time. We are also looking at the possibility of legal action.”
