'Women cannot wait' - Refuge campaigners in Carlow call for urgent action

Responding to a report released by An Garda Síochana stating that over half of all murders in Ireland in 2021 were domestic abuse cases, local campaigners for the women’s refuge say Carlow needs urgent supports in now and cannot wait until 2024 as the government have outlined in the Review of Accommodation for Victims of Domestic Violence that was published earlier this year.

Spokeswoman for Carlow Women’s Refuge Campaign, Ger O’Neill, said:

“The Gardaí reported that they receive 120 and 150 domestic-abuse reports every day but we also know that many more cases are still not being reported.

“It has also been well documented that women and children are most at risk when they are trying to leave a violent home, as such we must ensure there are enough supports for our front-line services now.

“Women cannot wait until 2024 as outlined in the government’s review.”

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Ms. O’Neill added:

“Following the outburst of anger after Aisling Murphy’s murder, the government finally acknowledged that more refuge spaces are needed across Ireland.

“This landmark report from An Gardaí highlights the sheer scale of lethal violence against women in Ireland. Between 2020 and 2021, the number of sexual offences where domestic abuse was a factor increased by almost 400pc. In 2020, there were 205 such incidents compared to 817 in 2021. 

“Women must not be expected to wait for life-saving refuge spaces. Carlow has 4 out of 5 TDs in Government - they must act now so a refuge becomes a reality as soon as possible. The government responded quickly to the Covid crisis and nationalised private hospitals overnight – now we need the same timely response for women and children fleeing violence.”