Garda 'who lost her ambition due to PTSD awarded €75,000

mynamejeff wrote: »

Funny I play Gaa and rugby and i ve have a normal active social life over the last 15 or so years and Ive never been punched in the face.

think there might be something about you that attracts punches ??

who knows, but where I lived in London in the late 80's, weekend fights were sort of the norm - back then would hardly know anyone who hadn't been on the receiving end of a couple of punches playing rugby , it has cleaned up a lot since

melissak wrote: »

I don't know why some people on here think guards should be expecting to be punched in the face as part of their job description.

It's not that people think it's a part of her job, but it is one of the risks of her job. Just like truck drivers risk being in a road accident because of their job. They don't expect to crash, but accept it's a risk of their job and prepare for it by having insurance and a pack in the truck to use if and when an accident does happen.

inocybe wrote: »

I don't understand why the state gives a cash bonus in this kind of case. She doesn't need to alter her house, or buy any special equipment. The only person responsible is the person that punched her, not the state.

It's seems like this is just the process. It also seems like a horribly expensive and drawn out way of dealing with garda issues.

I don't think it's been said where the state actually failed here. I'm guessing she was left alone when she shouldn't have been. I would have thought there are procedures when dealing with criminals like this and that one of the procedures would be that no guard is left in a vulnerable position.

Even if the guard was a big horse of a man he shouldn't be in a position where he can be overpowered and trapped/left for dead. The guards should always have an air of intimidation where you wouldn't dare try anything with any individual guard because you know you'll be jumped on by the rest of them. The criminal shouldn't be able to think, I have a chance here, just get the better of this guard and I can escape.

If that was a procedure and it's being constantly ignored because of staffing issues, then I could fully appreciate why she'd have lost confidence and has a sense of dread when it comes to her future career. It's one thing to get caught up in an unforeseen incident. It's another to believe it's more than likely going to happen again because the guarda management won't take proper precautions. There's accepting risk and then there's just recklessness.

esforum wrote: »

You think a Garda thats 60 could realistically chase and tackle a strapping fit and healthy 20 or 25 year old criminal? The early age is a reflection of the demands made on the health of Gardai. You can retire after 20 years from the NYPD by the way.




And whats stopping you from joining this easy, overpaid, cushy number? Thats the second time by the way I have asked that question, maybe you should just save what little credibility you have left and stop posting?

The job is not any more demanding than many others that don't enjoy these perks. The early retirement is a legacy issue and outdated one as well.
Re the second question, which you should have realized is stupid, when I see a problem, I want to fix it not join in.

melissak wrote: »

Do the families of army officers get compensation if they get shot?

Yes, we pay into a fund for it.

mynamejeff wrote: »

How are you going to fix something when you dont understand the basics of the issue ?

You haven't explained why these people should enjoy early retirement at all.

People seem to be overlooking the fact that as a result of this assault, she suffered both physical and psychological damage, and no longer feels she can perform regular duties. A direct result of this would be a serious hindrance to any future promotion opportunities. Why would she get promoted if there's a list of people going for it, and she's no longer able to perform regular duties? This is the main issue. As a result of the assault, she may not be able to further her career.

Also, yes, there is a higher chance of a Garda being assaulted in their career, more so than most other services. The issue here is that the state does not attempt to prevent this happening. They can have all the procedures they want, but the simple fact is that people who assault Gardaí get little more than a slap on the wrist most of the time. See posts above where a Garda was subject to a "fairly ferocious attack" and didn't even get jail. There are numerous articles which show that Gardaí getting attacked results in little or no prosecution. There was a vote a few years back to make mandatory minimum sentencing for assaults on emergency services personnel. This was not the emergency services attempting to increase sentences for assaults on them, it was an attempt to potentially prevent attacks. Guaranteed emergency services would much prefer prevention over cure, and mandatory minimum sentencing would go a huge way towards that, as a criminal would be less likely to attack them if they knew they were going to get a minimum of 5 years in jail. As it currently stands, they know that if they attack emergency services personnel, they'll probably just get a slap on the wrist. The vote was rejected, with half voting against it, and quite a few abstaining from the vote. This is what the law makers think of the frontline emergency services personnel.

As a direct result of that, it's a fact that Gardaí are less likely to put themselves in situations where they might be assaulted. This in turn is bad for everyone else. Why would a Garda put themselves on the line knowing that, if some posters had their way, they wouldn't get compensation for assaults and the criminal would more than likely walk free.

Add onto that that if this Garda had to take, say a month off work as a direct result of the assault, it would be considered injury on duty and wouldn't form part of the new Sick Leave Regulations (90 days off sick on full pay, 90 days on half pay, anything above that on pension rate which is basically lower than the dole). Now, if she suffers from PTSD, there would be more time off work as a result, but because she cam back to work, under the SLR if she went out sick again with PTSD as a result of that incident, it would affect her sick days. The state is basically punishing Gardaí for doing their job.

I've seen dead bodies, horrible traffic collisions, suicides. Initially, they would phase me, but because that happens so often you become desensitized to it. The issue with that is that the state does not provide counselling services to Gardaí. Back in the day, the only counselling you got after a traumatic event was going on the piss with your colleagues, which in itself led a lot of older Gardaí to alcoholism. There is still no counselling services, but there are "peer supporters" who are other, serving regular frontline Gardaí who were given a few days course on how to talk to colleagues. They are not psychiatrists or counselors. The state is making moves to bring in counselling, but it will be restricted to 4 free visits a year. Not much good in my opinion. There should be 24/7 free counselling to all serving Gardaí, and other frontline emergency services personnel.

In America, if you're a cop and come across a traumatic event, you're not allowed back on the beat until the state appointed counsellor deems you safe to do so. Here, "You saw the result of someone after blowing their head off? Make sure to have that file in on time. And there's a fatal road traffic collision just after happening, get out there".

Until that happens, i think Gardaí are entitled to some compensation for psychological issues, because they have to pay for their own counselling as it currently stands.

Edit: Just to put some perspective into this, remember the old woman who fell going up an escalator in Dublin airport? She got €40k because she didn't know how to use an escalator, was too stubborn or stupid to ask for directions to the lift (from the hundreds of people who work there), and suffered a few cuts and grazes, and a couple of pains. And ye begrudge a Garda who had her nose broken and suffered PTSD? The Gardaí are gone soft? I think they're just following in line with the general public...

maryishere wrote: »

+1. In the UK a victim of an assault was told "A broken nose is not serious enough for compensation'"

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/news/11258073._A_broken_nose_is_not_serious_enough_for_compensation_/

And that was accepted by all involved. On your bike, get on with it.

You would think maybe 5,000 would be a nice gesture though.

Bit of a difference. That was an assault on a member of the public by a member of the public. The suspect got 18 months for that. If this is a regular occurence in his line of work (taxi rank marshall) then his employers should have some scheme set up. In this thread, a Garda was assaulted on duty. There's no mention of what time the suspect will serve, but i could guarantee he woulnd't get 18 months, and the Gardaí have a compensation scheme for these exact reasons. You can't compare the two, as the taxi rank guy didn't suffer from PTSD (well, the article doesn't state he did).