The frightening reality of rampant and severe domestic violence, compounded by drugs, is endemic amongst women living in Ballyfermot and Cherry Orchard, two of Dublin’s poorest districts, according to a recent report. This fresh study titled “Unveiling the Shadows: Dynamics of Domestic Violence and Abuse in Dublin 10”, projects a grim image of persistent domestic turmoil intensified by substance abuse and perpetuated across generations. The impetus for the report came from a worrying spike in suicides amongst young females, many who were mothers, in 2019. During a 10-week interval from April to July that year, eight women aged between their 20s and 30s tragically took their own lives, prompting the HSE’s suicide prevention office to conduct an emergency evaluation of the region. It ascertained that domestic violence was a significant contributory factor to these deaths.
The current report reaffirms the suspicions raised in the preliminary analysis, stating that women in these regions are disproportionately subjected to domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV), with more frequent and severe incidents. Local DSGBV service Saoirse received funding to hire a specialist outreach worker after a 2020 appraisal. The organisation studied the experiences of 122 of its clients residing in multiple Dublin districts in late 2020. The assessment illustrated the chilling reality of numerous women living under the threat of lethal violence. Reports of brutal instances comprising ‘brain injuries’ and being ‘pulled down’ have been cited.
The report also highlights the detrimental effects of domestic abuse on children, with “distressing accounts” of child maltreatment and trauma. The complexity of DSGBV is magnified by the impact of intergenerational trauma, drug addiction, societal pressures, insufficient initiatives by government agencies, and roadblocks to precise data collection. A sizable fraction of the women had been exposed to domestic violence from a young age, conditioned to accept it as normal, and raised unaware of their self-worth, as per one support worker’s account.
A resident of Dublin 10 has expressed concerns about the worsening situation, believing that many children are growing up under the shadow of parents who are battling active substance addiction. The children are subjected to trauma and abuse, and they are not equipped to comprehend it as such.
Substances such as cocaine and alcohol are leading to increased vulnerability in women and fuelling the erratic and violent behaviour of their abusers. Addiction support services have witnessed cases where young women were manipulated into abusive relationships via drugs. They further highlighted that emotional abuse often leads women to remain within abusive relationships given their abusive partners’ sporadic show of affection or remorse, which instills a fleeting hope for change. Their emotional needs are met predominantly by their abuser, who, in many instances, successfully severs their ties with their support system.
Social services supporting victims in this region are saturated, dealing with an overwhelming number of complex cases. Determining the exact extent of domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence (DSGBV) is challenging due to underreporting, especially in places like Dublin 10. Abuse cases, including criminal damage and public order crimes, cannot be classified under DSGBV in the Garda Pulse system.
The report categorises DSGBV as a substantial, enduring public health issue for women and makes numerous calls for action. These include the need for increasing refuge spaces, as well as spreading awareness of DSGBV’s repercussions on women and children across local departments, such as housing, legal enforcement, and family support services.
Help is available for those in need at the following points:
– Saoirse Domestic Violence Support Centre: 01 463 0000 (24 hours)
– Samaritans: 116 123 (available 24 hours)
– Pieta House: 1800 247 247 (24 hours) or text HELP to 51444.
– Women’s Aid: 1800 341 900 (24 hours).