Victim Support NI welcomes Domestic Abuse Bill

Following many years of campaigning by charities for better laws to protect domestic abuse victims, the Domestic Abuse Bill got its first reading in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Tuesday 31st March.

Victim Support warmly welcomes this first stage in bringing our domestic abuse laws up to date. Victims of domestic violence have waited too long for a law that protects them from coercive and controlling behaviour, and we remain the only jurisdiction in the UK and Ireland without such legal protections.

We are also keenly aware of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on victims of domestic abuse, who may be trapped in isolation in their homes with an abusive partner or family member. We call on the NI Assembly to pass this law as swiftly as possible, so that victims may avail of its protections as soon as possible.

We also call on the NI Executive to prioritise the needs of domestic abuse victims during the COVID-19 crisis, and include measures to safeguard victims in its emergency response planning.

Considering the strain on Northern Ireland’s refuge services to cope with the numbers of women in urgent need of shelter and safety and the lack of dedicated refuges for male victims, we need to explore all suitable options (e.g. holiday camps, hotel, vacant student accommodation) to increase the emergency accommodation provision for those at risk of harm/whose lives may be at increased risk during the time.