‘Covid Christmas’ puts extra strain on women’s refuges
REFUGES for women and children fleeing rising levels of domestic violence are braced for increased pressure on availability this Christmas.
The twin enemies of Covid restrictions and heightened family tensions are likely to see record levels of people seeking emergency help.
Earlier this year, Women’s Aid reported that calls to a domestic violence helpline surged by a staggering 43% during lockdown.
It said the pandemic produced the ‘perfect storm’ for victims – most of whom were women – being trapped at home with their partners, and with fewer places to which to run.
To add to the maelstrom of tensions, social distancing requirements have meant many refuges cannot take in as many people as in normal years.
Women’s Aid chief executive Sarah Benson said: ‘Covid-19 has shone a further light on the crisis of domestic violence in homes across Ireland. As we all retreated to our homes for safety, it became increasingly clear that home is not a safe place for everyone.
‘ Trapped with abusers, and denied outlets that may have offered them support and respite in the face of abuse before, women came up with ingenious ways to get in touch with us. Women called from their car, from the garden shed, from the bathroom with the shower running.’
Now Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop, acting CEO of Saoirse Women’s Refuge in Dublin, has said all their places are already filled this December. She said Christmas was always a trigger point for an escalation in domestic violence, as family tensions build. This year, she feared, would be even worse, with many women remaining isolated from wider family support.
‘As I speak to you now, we are full. We are all the time looking for places for families to move to, supported by a care plan,’ she said.
However, she added that her staff were fully committed to helping victims, and would be working over Christmas to make the festive period as peaceful as possible for the families that needed them.
Looking back over the year, Ms
O’Malley-Dunlop said: ‘It’s been very busy since the first lockdown. All the staff had to train in PPE. We couldn’t close, we were essential workers.
‘One of the refuges has selfcatering units, the other is shared living. We couldn’t move families into shared living – they had to go into the self- catering units and self-isolate, and you can imagine how difficult that was. These were families with children who had already come f rom abusive, confined situations, and now they were being confined again.
‘Thankfully, because we were frontline workers we were able to work with the f amilies and support them and their care plan, so they could move on when they were ready.’
She added: ‘It is really rewarding to see the transformation in women and families when they begin to relax and know that they are out of danger.’
Ms O’Malley-Dunlop said Saoirse had the facilities to support 11 families in the refuge, as well as two safe houses.
She said there had also been a huge increase this year in outreach services, to help women and children in the community.
This prevention and early i ntervention service provides practical and emotional support to t hose who have or are experiencing physical, emotional, sexual or financial abuse.
It also provides advice and assistance on legal, housing, social welfare, entitlements, information advocacy and referrals to other appropriate services.
Ms O’Malley- Dunlop s ai d demand for the charity’s services had gone ‘through the roof’ during the lockdowns and in August, and warned that it was now increasing again with Christmas.
She said the charity was particularly busy accompanying people to court, but that she welcomed the recent Garda announcement that there had been 217 prosecutions started for breaches of the Domestic Violence Act under Operation Faoiseamh since April.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Claire Loftus, revealed last month that domestic violence cases reaching her office have jumped by 87% this year, compared to the same period in 2019.
While 464 files on domestic violence or the breach of a court order reached the DPP in 2019, the office has received over 684 files this year. She said it was now DPP policy to prosecute all domestic violence cases submitted by An Garda Síochána in the Dublin District Court.
‘That’s really, really welcomed by the service,’ Ms O’Malley-Dunlop said. ‘To see action being taken, and to see women being supported, is a great message to send out.’
The Women’s Aid 24-hour helpline is 1800 341 900. It can also be reached through womensaid.ie.
‘Women called from garden sheds’ ‘A great message to send out’