Irish Examiner View: Legal first on coercive control
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Yesterday’s conviction for coercive control at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, the first under the 2018 Domestic Violence Act, is a welcome step in the right direction.
It underlines the seriousness of coercive control, which can manifest as sexual, physical, emotional or financial abuse, and will hopefully encourage other victims to seek help.
The ruling is particularly welcome given the upsurge in domestic violence during the coronavirus pandemic. It has risen so steeply that commentators the world over commonly refer to it as the ‘shadow pandemic’. It is not new, but the restrictions imposed by various lockdowns have brought it to the fore.
Here, Women’s Aid reported a 43% increase in calls between March and June this year, compared to 2019 figures, while calls to gardaí about domestic abuse and violence went up by 18%.
It is encouraging, then, to see a jury find a man guilty on a charge of coercive control for the first time in Irish legal history. Under the 2018 Act, the inclusion of a new offence of coercive control was one of the key protections for victims.
What is less heartening is that the woman at the centre of this case endured so much over such a prolonged period. The charges in the case covered dates between May 2018 and January 2020.
This case offers hope to other victims but it also underlines the need to fund services for victims of domestic violence and, in the longer term, to ensure better relationship education in schools.