The suspended sentence handed down to Cathal Crotty has shown how far we need to go to reach the ‘zero tolerance’ approach to gender-based violence the Government has promised.
The National Women’s Council of Ireland (NWCI) is warning that violence against women is still “not being taken seriously” in Ireland.
Exactly two years since the Government’s Zero Tolerance strategy for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence was published, the NWCI is warning that without proper resourcing it cannot achieve its goals.
The council is reminding Government that Zero Tolerance must mean Zero Tolerance – regardless of a perpetrator's status, family or ‘good character’.
Zero Tolerance
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, NWCI spokesperson Ivanna Youtchak said Ireland’s justice system is still sending out the wrong message.
“The message is that violence against women is not being taken as a serious crime,” she said.
“That in the justice system, even when victims speak out, they will not be treated as they should and then the perpetrators walk away with suspended sentences.
“It is a very wrong message and that needs to change.”
Justice
Ms Youtchak said the NWCI is calling for comprehensive and practical reforms to the justice system – including training for all professionals who come into contact with survivors.
“We can't have a justice system that is not compassionate to survivors,” she said.
“It is more compassionate towards perpetrators, in this case, the man, because we could hear about how his career was prioritised over Natasha's trauma.
“She emphasised many times how traumatic the system was and how traumatic the years in the aftermath of the case were.
“Whereas Cathal Crotty did not get the sentence that fits the crime.
“So, it's not about each judge individually, it is about a system that is not compassionate to survivors.”
Assault
Last week, serving soldier Cathal Crotty (22), of Parkroe Heights, Ardnacrusha, County Clare, walked free from court after he was handed a suspended sentence for beating Ms O’Brien unconscious on Limerick’s O’Connell Street.
Ms O'Brien suffered a broken nose, bruising, nightmares and panic attacks after the unprovoked attack.
Hours after the attack, Mr Crotty boasted about what he had done, writing to friends on Snapchat, "Two to put her down, two to put her out."
Delivering the sentence, Judge Tom O'Donnell said Crotty's actions were "utterly appalling" but said he was not imposing an immediate jail sentence because he had 'no doubt' it would end his army career.
Ms O’Brien has since been campaigning for reform of Ireland’s justice system and at a protest last night, she said she doesn’t want to “live in a world where this kind of thing continues”.
“I'm like, just all action now,” she said. “I told my story but this is all about moving forward.
“We've turned something painful and something heartbreaking; we've turned that rage and we've directed it towards moving forward.”
The NWCI is urging the Government to fully fund Cuan, the new Government agency on gender-based violence and the Zero Tolerance strategy.
Main image shows Natasha O'Brien speaking outside the Dail. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews
