Women’s Aid: Domestic violence case delays endangering women and children

Margaret Martin, director of Women’s Aid (pictured), made the warning after figures were released showing that domestic violence cases are taking three months to be heard at family court hearings in Cork, the Irish Examiner reports.

In a Dáil reply to Josepha Madigan TD, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said that in Limerick waiting times were nine weeks while in Waterford and Dublin the waiting period were eight and five weeks respectively.

Ms Madigan said the waiting times were “simply unacceptable”.

She said: “Even five weeks in Dublin is too long.

“The trauma of domestic abuse for victims is horrendous enough without having to suffer the further ignominy of enduring a lengthy waiting time which only serves to compound their misery.

“We need more judges and a more streamlined system to help the courts service eradicate long waiting lists.

“We need the enactment of the family courts bill — for which I have repeatedly called for in the Dáil — to provide us with a dedicated family court system to ensure we alleviate the stress for victims of domestic violence and ensure an efficient and fair family justice system for all.”

However, a large proportion of court venues, among them Athlone, Ballina, Castlebar, Ennis, Portlaoise, Mallow, Monaghan, Roscommon and Wexford, have no waiting periods.

Mr Flanagan said: “The Courts Service has informed me that delays in the hearing of cases can occur for a number of reasons, many of which are outside the control of the courts and the Courts Service, for example, the unavailability of a witness or vital evidence, delays in the furnishing of reports or because the parties and/ or legal practitioners are not ready to proceed on allocated dates.”

Ms Martin, however, said: “Long waiting times can leave women and children in vulnerable and dangerous situations. During this waiting time, women are essentially living in limbo and the threat of an order can often lead to an escalation of emotional abuse.

“Starting a court process might be an effective deterrent for some men, but others threaten to set fire to the house, take the kids and drive off and threaten to crash the car.

“Women tell us that their partners threaten to kill them or their children if they don’t withdraw the application.”

Ms Martin said: “Often the abuser will try and woo her back, or convince her to drop it; she has to keep her resolve for many weeks.”

A Courts Service spokesman said: “Court waiting times across the country change from year to year, and from term to term in various areas.”