"Man Up" campaign by SafeIreland

iptba

A 48-year-old woman who injured her partner after discharging a shotgun when she discovered he was having an affair has been given a two-year suspended jail sentence.

Andrea Booth, of Nurney Bog Road, Nurney, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty at Naas Circuit Criminal Court to a charge of recklessly discharging a firearm at the home she shared with her partner, Patrick Healy, on 7 October 2020, contrary to Section 8 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990.

[..]

The court heard that Mr Healy heard his partner hitting his car and later hitting the wall of a bedroom with his legally held shotgun.

Gda Young said the gun was discharged during the incident and Mr Healy suffered wounds from two shotgun pellets which struck his arm.

https://www.rte.ie/news/courts/2023/0609/1388342-andrea-booth-shotgun-court

I'm left wondering whether if the genders were reversed, a tougher punishment might have been given.

iptba

When looking at some discussions at the last case, someone flagged this case:

‘I’ve stabbed you now, good enough’ – woman (38) spared jail for calling to ex-boyfriend’s home while drunk and knifing him

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/ive-stabbed-you-now-good-enough-woman-38-spared-jail-for-calling-to-ex-boyfriends-home-while-drunk-and-knifing-him/41631487.html

"A woman who called around to her ex-partner's apartment one morning and stabbed him in the torso has been given a suspended two-year sentence and ordered to pay him €2,000."

FishOnABike

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120696509#Comment_120696509

I'm left wondering how one 'accidentally' discharges a shotgun, twice, in such circumstances.

The law requires that "A shotgun shall be disassembled and each part shall be stored securely and separately when not in use. The trigger housing shall be secured against use with an appropriate trigger lock." and also "that when the relevant firearm is not in use, the ammunition for it must be stored in a locked receptacle that is separate from any firearm in which that ammunition is capable of being used."

An accident? Twice? Once is an accident. Twice is a decision. The mind boggles at the operation of our legal system at times.

iptba

Derek Byrne: People in same-sex relationships also suffer the blight of domestic violence

Many in the LGBT+ community are reluctant to talk about abusive behaviour

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/derek-byrne-people-in-same-sex-relationships-also-suffer-the-blight-of-domestic-violence/a1715152463.html

Other Irish researchers have pointed to the difficulty in engaging lesbians in this form of research, partly because many women in female-to-female relationships don’t recognise what they are experiencing as domestic violence as there isn’t a man involved.

Another surprising characteristic of domestic violence in same-sex relationships is that it tends to be bi-directional: that is, both partners tend to be abusive towards each other. Problem drug and alcohol use are also a key factor, with alcohol being prevalent in female relationships and recreational drug use similarly in male relationships.

However, as far as calls to the Men’s Aid helpline are concerned, men in same-sex relationships appear to have gone back into their closets, if you’ll excuse the analogy. I have also witnessed a resistance from some groups within the LGBT+ community to discuss the issue of domestic violence as something that happens in same-sex relationships.

One eyed Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120876804#Comment_120876804

There will always be higher rates of unreported issues like domestic violence among minorities, because of the way they know their communities are perceived in society already and the social stigma which exists, and that’s why men like Derek who are looking to highlight and address the issues will find little research on the topic or victims willing to speak about their experiences - because they fear being ostracised from their communities, they fear not being taken seriously, and they fear that they are betraying their own communities if they make a complaint to the authorities.

There is also contributing to this the pervasive attitudes in society that people can’t get their heads around the idea that men could be victims of domestic violence and/or abuse, which feeds into the perception that men shouldn’t talk about it, which leads to the assumption for men that they can’t. Women experience the same feelings but there’s much greater acceptance of women being victims of domestic violence, coupled with the assumption that only men are capable of being violent.

iptba

Sex education to be compulsory in Irish schools

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckrjvj3lnxlo

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Among the topics covered will be "consent, intimacy and mutual pleasure" and how to identify abusive or violent relationships.

That will include "a particular focus on violence against women and girls."

Blinked_Missed It

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120876804#Comment_120876804

Funny how when its lesbians its apparently ok to say the domestic abuse is bidirectional. 2 or more violent abusive women. But when it comes to domestic violence in heterosexual relationships DV suddenly becomes "gender based" where only males are violent and only women are victims. Got to keep the millions in taxpayer funding coming in to the misandry political, academic and NGO industry.

iptba

Fully paid domestic violence leave to start in autumn

https://www.rte.ie/news/2023/0808/1398633-domestic-violence

iptba

Man’s wife wouldn’t let him shower in case he was meeting someone after work, court hears

Family Law Court grants Protection Order to man as he fears for safety and mental health due to alleged abuse from ‘paranoid’ wife

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2023/10/20/mans-wife-wouldnt-let-him-shower-in-case-he-was-meeting-someone-after-work-court-hears

iptba

Daughter of Jason Corbett to release balloons marking End Domestic Violence month

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41258218.html

iptba

Judge deploys new stalking law in case against Co Clare woman

[..]

A judge has deployed a new law aimed at dealing with alleged stalking by ordering a Co Clare woman not to go within 500 metres of her ex-husband’s home.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett made the restraining order on the woman under new legislation that only came into force last week.

Making the application on behalf of the man, solicitor Mairead Doyle said her client’s ex-wife “is constantly watching him”.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/courtandcrime/arid-41264113.html

iptba

Looks like there is now and will be likely in the future a further imbalance in what's available for families where the domestic abuse victim is female rather than male

How Meath refuge centre helps repair lives of children after domestic abuse: ‘We came with just the clothes on our backs’

Study calls for more child support workers

[..]

The “Where I’m At” programme funded by RTÉ’s Toy Show Appeal helped 80 children in 2022.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/how-meath-refuge-centre-helps-repair-lives-of-children-after-domestic-abuse-we-came-with-just-the-clothes-on-our-backs/a1768371994.html

iptba

Just saw a TV ad for Women’s Aid sponsored by Allianz during the Late, Late Show. Such ads aren’t cheap. My guess is they don’t support charities supporting male victims much if at all.

Such an imbalance can enshrine the view that domestic violence is almost solely something done by men to women. 

iptba

New domestic violence leave entitlements begin

Updated / Monday, 27 Nov 2023 21:46

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2023/1127/1418599-domestic-violence-leave/

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Last week, a new online support hub was launched for employers ahead of the introduction of statutory domestic violence leave.

The website www.DVatWork.ie provides free resources to support employers to implement the new leave entitlements including a policy template with guidance notes, information sessions and an email support service.

It has been developed by Women's Aid and funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

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https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2023/1124/1418274-business-hub/

A new website www.DVatWork.ie provides free resources to support employers to implement the new leave entitlements.

It has been developed by Women's Aid and funded by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth.

The online support hub includes a policy template with guidance notes, information sessions and an email support service.

=====

I haven't looked into it indepth but I have a concern about Women's Aid leading such a service. For example, if an employer discusses a case where the male seems to be the victim and the female the perpetrator, could they Women's Aid contact encourage a re-evaluation of the situation? 

iptba

Perhaps not a classic example of domestic violence but losing access to property they part own is probably not uncommon for men when they separate

Seeking domestic violence order against wife not ‘a convenient way’ of getting back into family home, says judge

Man tells court landlord is selling property he rents and he wants to move back into the family home

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2023/12/23/seeking-domestic-violence-order-against-wife-not-a-convenient-way-of-getting-back-into-family-home-says-judge/

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The man said his wife is living in the home with some of her family and they told him he wasn’t allowed in the house.

He said he went to the home in recent days to move over his stuff and his wife was “abusing” him, and said ‘go f****** live with your mother’.

The man said his wife’s sister also pushed him out of the property.

Judge Furlong told the man he should go to the gardaí regarding the woman’s sister and the court couldn’t grant an order against her as he had not been living with her.

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iptba

Minister McEntee launches 2024 implementation plan for Zero Tolerance Strategy

From Department of Justice 

Published on 1 April 2024

Last updated on 2 April 2024

Priority areas include refuge accommodation, with eight new family refuge units to be delivered this year, a further 25 family refuge units to be under construction by the end of the year, and a strategic plan on safe accommodation for people experiencing domestic violence to be developed, which will include the delivery of more safe homes throughout the year.
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Anyone know if men will be able to use these family refuge facilities?I don’t follow this area closely. Cuan seems to be a new entity set up by the State so it would not be good if men were excluded.

With regard to zero tolerance, I get the impression many think about this with male perpetrators in mind. Some people can be quite inclined to not have a zero tolerance approach when there is a female perpetrator.

https://www.gov.ie/en/press-release/11157-minister-mcentee-launches-2024-implementation-plan-for-zero-tolerance-strategy/

iptba

‘She moved into a flat near me and sent out engagement invitations’: True stories of Irish male stalking victims (April 27, 2024)

The popular new Netflix series Baby Reindeer highlights the extreme obsession of a stalker. Here, men who have struggled with this harrowing experience share their stories

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/she-moved-into-a-flat-near-me-and-sent-out-engagement-invitations-true-stories-of-irish-male-stalking-victims/a985374030.html

At that point, Rice called local gardaí. “They gave her a caution, if you like,” he says.

[..]

Rice then went to the local garda station again. “There was nothing they could do,” Rice recalls. “One guard said, ‘you must be getting something out of this. You must be enjoying this on some level’.”

[..]

Rice eventually went to the US for a couple of months, and later to the UK, and in 2018 Tantash was sentenced to four years in prison at Lewes Crown Court after the sustained and “vicious” harassment campaign levelled at Rice.

“Nobody takes men [in this situation] seriously,” Ciaran adds. “Every single male friend of mine assumed that I’d slept with her. When I said I hadn’t, their next question was, ‘is she good looking?’” In November, the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023,
which has introduced a new offence of stalking with a maximum sentence of up to 10 years, came into effect. The scope of the existing harassment offence has been widened to include any conduct that seriously interferes with a person’s peace and privacy, or causes alarm, distress or harm.

[..]

Asked if there’s a commonality within the experiences of male victims of stalking in particular, Staunton adds: “There’s a victim shaming attitude and behaviour that we need to knock on the head, and I suspect that far fewer males will report it for that reason. They may not recognise the early indicators as being problematic.”

iptba

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122098816#Comment_122098816

Over 22 million people have watched the Netflix series Baby Reindeer which follows the real-life story of Richard Gadd, who was stalked and sexually assaulted by a female customer in a pub where he had worked.

For Dubliner Jarlath Rice, watching the show brought back memories of his own harrowing experience.

It was Easter 2007 and Jarlath had an innocent cup of coffee with a stranger that he bumped into at a cafe in Dublin’s Ranelagh.

As a date, it was fine, and they met up a couple of times after that. But Rice just had a gut feeling that they weren't a romantic match, and he made the mistake of feeling sorry for her.

What followed was ten years of hell as Jarlath, his family, friends and work colleagues all became victims of his female stalker.

Today on The Indo Daily, Ellen Coyne is joined by Jarlath Rice who tells his unbelievable story of being harassed by an extreme stalker and the toll that it took on his life. We'll also hear from Dr Ciara Staunton, a forensic psychologist and academic operations manager at University College Cork, who outlines some of the red flags to watch out for if you meet someone new. She also tells us what you should do if you find yourself the victim of a stalker.

https://www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-indo-daily/the-indo-daily-20000-texts-and-physical-assault-a-male-irish-stalking-victims-living-nightmare/a1289442231.html

iptba

Woman pleads guilty to manslaughter of former lover in Co Wicklow

Previous trial of Nicola Brennan for the murder of Juris Viktorovs at their home in Ballyconnell ended in jury disagreement

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2024/06/10/woman-pleads-guilty-to-manslaughter-of-former-lover-in-co-wicklow

iptba

‘I had gut feeling she was going to murder Dad’ – Daughters reveal killer’s domestic abuse

The sisters witnessed her rage and jealousy during the six-month relationship with their dad

[..]

“The 54-year-old former scaffolder and odd-job man told neighbours Maksymowicz was burning him with a lighter in his sleep, and the sisters saw scratches on his body. She also stabbed him in the leg the night before she killed him as he slept and had previously threatened to glass him with a broken bottle, as well as punching, elbowing and stamping on him in front of witnesses.

The sisters are now campaigning to highlight the domestic abuse of men and plan to run a half-marathon in September to raise money for Men’s Alliance NI. They have both been diagnosed with PTSD following their dad’s death.”

[..]
”They became concerned about Tony being physically abused on Father’s Day 2022, just weeks after the relationship had started, when he tried on a T-shirt they had bought him.

“He took off his top and there were scrabs on his chest and arm. She said the dogs had scrabbed him, but his dogs didn’t jump up on you. Dad just said it was the dogs,” says Shannon.”

https://m.sundayworld.com/crime/irish-crime/i-had-gut-feeling-she-was-going-to-murder-dad-daughters-reveal-killers-domestic-abuse/a645172107.html

iptba

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/new-supports-for-domestic-violence-victims-rolled-out-at-st-vincents-hospital-emergency-department/a308850548.html

A new support system for victims of domestic violence has been rolled out in the emergency department at St Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin.

The system is aimed at reducing the risk of these patients not being referred on to essential services.

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”As part of the new system, relevant contact details and QR codes are displayed throughout the emergency department. These link to national support services such as Women’s Aid and Men’s Development Network, ensuring discreet access to help.”

iptba

A woman has been jailed for eight years for stabbing her housemate to death in a motiveless attack during a "chaotic" and drunken evening.

https://www.rte.ie/news/2024/1014/1475433-central-criminal-court-jailed/

o1s1n

Almost half a decade of link dumps without response. Impressive.

iptba

Disappointing that this report funded by public bodies only covers violence against women.

EU gender-based violence survey – key results – 2024 edition is

https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/7870049/20464303/KS-01-24-013-EN-N.pdf

iptba

Most of these protection orders and interim barring orders are taken by women often against male partners but sometimes against other family members but this edition also mentioned a male victim:

Man who alleged wife broke his ribs gets protection order
Mother gets interim barring orders against two sons over alleged threats, including to bomb her home
https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2025/01/26/man-who-alleged-wife-broke-his-ribs-gets-protection-order

https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2025/01/26/man-who-alleged-wife-broke-his-ribs-gets-protection-order

A man who alleged his wife broke his ribs twice and has subjected him to coercion and abuse for years has secured a protection order against her.
The man told the emergency domestic violence court in Dolphin House, Dublin, on Friday his wife has been “extremely abusive” throughout their relationship.

She has subjected him to coercion, emotional, physical and financial abuse, including not permitting him to access bank accounts or to make purchases “even for food”, without her permission, he said.

She is verbally abusive to his family and friends, has made false allegations of domestic abuse by him to family members, and “ridicules” his documented mental health issues in front of their young children, he said.

He had asked her to stop doing so, but she refused, including making references to suicide, he said. This had an “emotional toll”.

The situation had escalated into physical violence and she broke his ribs twice, the last time some days ago, he said.

When his doctor remarked it was unusual a rib would break twice in the same place, he told him it was “because of domestic abuse” and was advised by him to contact gardaí. He did so, and was advised to seek a protection order.

Judge Gerard Furlong said he would grant a protection order “straight away”. The order, granted ex parte (one side only represented) is returnable to March when the woman can respond to his claims.

iptba

65,000 reported domestic violence incidents in 2024 https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41561812.html

The Programme for Government said there was an “epidemic” of domestic and sexual violence in the country and that tackling it remained a major priority, involving full implementation of national “zero tolerance” strategies.

[..]

Men’s Aid last year said they had seen a 57% increase in demand for their services in 2023, compared to 2020.

The Programme for Government said that they would progress updates to the school curriculum on domestic and sexual violence.

The programme promises at least 280 refuge spaces by 2026 and a review of the laws around breaches of domestic violence orders.

It said the Government will work with gardaí to ensure a person in an intimate relationship can be informed of a serious risk to them where a new partner has a history of domestic violence.

Guessing there will be zero refuge spaces out of those 280 for male victims.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123108948#Comment_123108948

'Guessing there will be zero refuge spaces out of those 280 for male victims'

Why do you think this? (other than having an obvious chip on your shoulder)

iptba

I think that because as far as I know none of the refuge spaces currently available in Ireland are for male victims. There have been similar announcements in the past and I believe they only led to more spaces for women.

Seathrun66

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/88130979#Comment_88130979

That's not a source but a post on a forum much like this one. A post comprised of guesswork.