CEO of Longford Women's Link "concerned about the message being sent out to women"

Last weekend thousands of people across Ireland took to the streets in protest over the decision in Limerick Circuit Court to impose a suspended prison sentence for a vicious assault on a woman.
Judge Tom O'Donnell handed down a three-year suspended sentence to 22-year-old serving soldier Cathal Crotty of Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, Clare. Mr Crotty had pleaded guilty to assaulting 24-year-old Natasha O’Brien on Limerick’s O’Connell Street causing her harm in May 2022.

The soldier beat the young woman unconscious during the assault. The victim suffered severe physical injuries to her face and body, as well as concussion and panic attacks.

Tara Farrell, CEO, Longford Women's Link, described the judge's decision as “very concerning”. The decision comes in a ten year period that experienced the highest number of women killed in decades.
Ms Farrell says violence against women is at alarming levels in society: “We would be very concerned about the message being sent out to women. The message is that somebody can do this in full view, in broad daylight, and boast about it on social media and that there are no consequences for them. That's very concerning.”

The Longford Women's Link CEO says the court decision is at odds with national policy: “Ireland has commitment to zero tolerance in relation to violence against women. We do have faith in the third national strategy. We have faith in that commitment, but it's being sorely tested at the moment when we see what's happening in the courts.”
Since opening their doors in 1995, Longford Women’s Link has provided a space for women to ‘develop their voice’ to address issues they and their families face. The service provides support to women engaging with the courts as victims.
This role means Ms Farrell is more aware of court decisions than most. She feels the Limerick Circuit Court decision is not an outlier: “It's not unique. The current system is not set up for women. There's huge challenges for women experiencing domestic violence, and we're seeing an extension of that in terms of what we saw last week.”

There is a shortfall in providing support for women who find themselves in difficult situations. Women who suffered domestic, sexual and gender-based violence in Longford, Roscommon, Cavan, Leitrim and five other counties across Ireland have no refuge.

The Longford Women's Link CEO believes violence against women is at a crisis point: “When you look at the 2023 Impact Report for Women's Aid, they've received the highest ever number of domestic abuse disclosures in 50 years. They're reporting a huge increase in numbers.

“We supported 60 women in the month of May alone. That's just in Longford. Other services are reporting similar increases. It's very concerning when we see these kinds of acts being perpetrated and then the consequences just aren't there for the perpetrators.”
Ms Farrell says there is a lesson to be learned from the public outcry in response to the court decision: “If we're serious about zero tolerance policy, then that has to extend into the sentencing. It has to extend into the prosecution pillar. We're just not seeing the evidence of that at the moment.”