Almost half of people who reported domestic abuse to the Gardaí were dissatisfied with how it was dealt with, according to a report by Garda Síochána Inspectorate.  

The figure increased to 54% when it came to people who reported in person at a Garda station. 

Overall, 50% of people who engaged with the Inspectorate survey were dissatisfied about the overall service they received.

The Inspectorate found that Gardaí are committed to supporting and protecting victims of domestic abuse; with many of its personnel delivering a high quality service, but this was not consistent across the organisation. 

However, it found they did not have an organisational strategy to tackle domestic abuse;  its domestic abuse intervention policy was found to be outdated and it made limited use of available data to inform its approach.

The Inspectorate recommended that An Garda Síochána improve its service to victims, develop more effective multi-agency working arrangements, be more proactive in disrupting and managing offenders and put in place a dedicated Garda domestic abuse strategy.

Main image: A woman looks out of a window. Picture by: Alamy.com

Reporting by Alan Cantwell.