Ireland South MEP is ‘sickened to the stomach’ by verdict in Limerick assault case

Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, a former barrister and current MEP, said the fully suspended sentence was a “kick in the teeth” for victims of gender based violence.

Ní Mhurchú, who spent 27 years representing victims of domestic violence in the Irish courts system, described Irish courts as a daunting place for the victims of gender based violence.

She has called for more training to be provided to Irish judges around sexual and gender based violence, but also around the adverse impact that attacks on women can have, on their long term mental health and well being and employment prospects.

Ní Mhurchú added that she is sickened to the stomach by the trauma that the victim went through in this case.

“We need to ensure that our courts take a more victim centred approach, as laid down in the Istanbul convention and EU Directive on Combating All Forms of Violence Against Women,” explained Ní Mhurchú.

“I don’t think that standard was fully reflected in this case and I think in turn it reflects poorly on both our criminal justice system, and on the Defence Forces. Unfortunately it sends a clear message to victims and to the public at large that it is ok to perpetrate extreme violence against women and walk out the front door of the court house.”

Ní Mhurchú, a trained family barrister and now MEP, recently visited women’s shelters in Tipperary, Carlow and Waterford and pointed to the sensitivity that surrounds a domestic violence and sexual and gender based violence case, and the importance that the victim is supported and listened to.

As a result, she has called for more training for judges presiding over cases involving violence against women.

“Training could be delivered by other judges, medical practitioners, former victims, and specialist psychologists. The court room can be a cold and daunting place for a victim of domestic, gender and sexual violence and we need to ensure that we do everything in our power to ensure women are not prevented from coming forward or are too scared to prosecute such crimes. The key thing is that the training should be structured and regular, not ad hoc,” she concluded.