Longford women's link weighs in on the proposed domestic violence register

Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, has committed to creating a register that names those convicted of domestic violence, serious sexual assault and rape. This legislation comes from Jennie’s Law named after Jennifer Poole, a woman whose life was violently cut short by Gavin Murphy in 2021.

Jennifer's killer had a history of domestic violence, but as there is currently no register or available information bar media attention on those convicted of these crimes in Ireland, Jennifer had no way of knowing, and it cost her her life.

Natalie O’Reilly is the Domestic Violence Manager at Longford Women’s Link. She has been a Domestic Violence Specialist for six years.

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“I would say that we would welcome any new legislation that may improve the life, the wellbeing and the safety of women and children,” replied Natalie when asked about the announcement.

“We really back Jason Poole’s activism; he’s campaigning for this legislation and is also part of our interagency group,” she continued. Jason Poole is Jennifer’s brother.

She does, however, have a few caveats. As a specialist in her field, Natalie and her colleagues have a unique understanding of domestic violence and the risk factors that come with naming abusers.

“It’s very hard to say what the long term outcome will be, but if it improves the situation and shines a light on abusers and gives people access to this information, you know, as long as it’s accessed in the correct way.”

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One worry that has been particularly highlighted since the Minister's announcement is protection of the anonymity and safety of the victims in these situations, Natalie agrees.

“It would need to be client-led, that the victim has the choice whether they use this and that it’s not mandatory or might jeopardise their anonymity or safety.

“We need to recognise that there needs to be an understanding around this legislation if it does become enacted, that we’re actually potentially increasing the risk of women who may utilise this piece of information if it’s used against the perpetrator.

“What they’re doing is essentially challenging their control, their power and control by putting that mirror up against them which as we know perpetrators don’t react well to being challenged,” Natalie pointed out.

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When it comes to ensuring this register is done correctly and with the least amount of risk possible to the safety of the victims, the solution is very complex. Natalie believes education is the number one factor in using this resource to its full potential.

“I think that it would be great for other practitioners to have access to a register, so that it takes the onus off the victim.

“When it comes to maybe family law court, we often see that there may be a history on the perpetrator whether it’s stalking, breaches of court orders or a history of domestic violence with previous partners, and that information is very rarely shared.

“I think there needs to be a whole revamp on how we deal with cases on the merits of risk, as we know scientifically we can only risk assess accordingly when we take into account the history of the perpetrator.”

The Minister has said that the register will not include any retrospective information. The register will also take into account rehabilitation and that he does not want the register to foster ‘permanent criminalisation’.

“It’s very hard isn’t it? I can understand why the decision is on the table. I mean how far do you go back? That’s going to take a lot of work, a lot of ground to cover.

“I mean, does it incorporate going forward, people who have offences from other countries? We’ve supported in particular, migrant women who have evidence that their perpetrator is well-known in other countries for very serious offences, offences against women, offences against children,” explained Natalie.

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Violence against children is a particular concern for domestic violence aid workers. In many cases, if the victim manages to get out of their situation, if children are involved, their perpetrator will continue the abuse through them.

Separately, the minister announced that legislation to remove guardianship rights from convicted killers is to be brought to the cabinet next month. This legislation is known as Valerie’s law, named for Mayo woman Valerie French who was killed by her husband James Kilroy in 2019.

When asked about this legislation and whether it should be expanded to include those convicted of domestic violence and sex offenders, Natalie said, “I do, I really do.”

She continued, “In our line of work we understand that the abuse doesn’t stop at the intimate partner or the ex-intimate partner, it often generates through the whole family network.

“If a parent is a convicted abuser for whatever reason, I do think that they should have maybe their automatic rights reduced, you know, so that they don’t have such control and equal rights to fight for them if they’re not looking after them, if they’re abusing them.”

Legislation like Jennie’s and Valerie’s law is a huge step forward for Ireland's response to domestic violence and sexual assault. Particularly for victims living in rural Ireland. Natalie highlights how much more complex domestic violence in rural Ireland can be.

“Rural domestic violence, it’s a lot harder for victims to get access [to support centres], it’s a lot harder for them to reach out.

“If they live on a farm, there’s more danger, there’s a lot more things that can be used as weapons, and the isolation is far more increased.”

Another factor in rural domestic violence is shame, if a victim does report, it’s likely that the whole town will know in an instant, or that community ties will lead them to being more isolated or not believed.

When asked about what other types of legislation she would like to see focused on, Natalie highlighted the danger of honour-based violence, this kind of violence is common across the world, but can mean dire consequences for its victims.

Naturally, because the world is ever changing and Ireland has had the privilege of welcoming new cultures and nationalities through our borders, problems from those countries will also pop up on this island.

Natalie would like to see separate interpreters given to migrant families in court regarding abuse and assault so that there will be no interference on behalf of the interpreters.

Natalie makes clear, however, that this is not something that Ireland is exempt from, domestic violence is very present in this country in one form or another.

“Domestic abuse does not discriminate, there is not one country in the world where there isn’t domestic abuse.”

In the case of Jennifer Poole and Valerie French both were killed by Irish men.