Yet the recent annual report from the Courts Service shows there were over 25,500 cases of domestic violence before the courts in Ireland in 2023. This was 2,000 more than in 2022 and 3,000 more than in 2021, indicating that this is indeed an epidemic and is on the rise.

The stigma and shame that is ingrained in this complex issue is magnified in rural Ireland, particularly if women are living in their abusive partner’s family area — this remains a significant issue for the women who attend the domestic violence service at Longford Women’s Link.

Community concerns

There is sometimes a lovely romantic view of rural Ireland and as a rural dweller, there are a lot of positives — we know about the strong community spirit across our towns, villages, and parishes. 

However, it can also enable the behaviours of the perpetrator, and it is equally powerful in enabling abuse. When we think of the traditional meitheal approach for example — neighbours supporting each other and when there is often a collective approach to farm work or a reliance on neighbours for various jobs, this makes people reluctant to isolate an abuser if they need him for farm work, turf contracting etc. If the woman is seen getting a taxi to the house or if the Garda car is outside — it will be noticed, and the perpetrator will be informed.

Barring orders are very difficult to implement and are often not sought by women in situations where their abuser works near the house, on the family farm or in other businesses. In addition, those women who do access gardaí or court orders will often report feeling isolated and shunned by their communities.

Access

Transport is a critical element of any rural domestic violence service support, especially given the lack of accessible rural transport options and it is an element that needs consistent resourcing. Additional transport costs compound the situation and increase the time to access services.

Women experiencing domestic violence in rural areas, particularly in remote locations often take longer to seek supports and fewer will contact the gardaí than in urban areas.

Approximately half of the women who access our service live in a rural area but Longford is quite a rural county by nature so even the towns would be considered ‘rural towns’. 

Only three main locations are served by some form of daily public transport, however, these services do not coincide with creche/school times, nor do they support women wishing to access employment/supports in Longford.

Reduced access to resources also has an impact — the closures of Garda stations and post offices, and cutbacks in the health service mean that in a crisis many women now must rely on the perpetrator for access to services especially if the use of the family car is tightly controlled.

For many victims, their experience of abuse may be made worse by the realities of rural living such as poor broadband coverage or a limited mobile network.

Their sense of isolation is enhanced by longer response times from gardaí and medical emergency teams. In some cases, the perpetrator has increased CCTV around the house, justifying it due to the rural location but using it as a means of keeping track of the victim.

Complex issues

Aspects of normal farming life can increase the danger to victims in many unseen ways. There are increased dangers in farm settings where weapons and dangerous tools are more commonly available, even though to anyone else they are simply the tools required to engage in farm work. 

Access to guns is common and this is a huge source of fear for many victims who fear they could be killed in their homes.

What often gets overlooked is the emotional attachment a victim might feel to the farm or the animals which makes it difficult for them to contemplate leaving. This is particularly an issue for older people.

Domestic violence is the cause of a huge range of social problems rather than an effect. It leads to homelessness, child abuse, poverty and addiction.

But the reality is that the pathway from domestic violence to safety is extremely lengthy and complex with many determining factors including children, income levels, language, disability, to name but a few.

Navigating this pathway is even more difficult when you consider the issues that impact people living in rural areas and how some aspects of rural life allow perpetrators to hide in plain sight. 

They are your neighbours, your relatives, your colleagues, your contractors. You know them. You just don’t know them as well as you think.

• Tara Farrell is CEO of Longford Women's Link