Sinn Féin proposes orders to protect victims of sexual violence after offenders released
Victims of sexual violence could get increased protections from any potential threat by their attackers upon their release from prison under proposed legislation being put forward by
Sinn Féin
.
Judges would be able to issue civil protection orders to apply after the offender's release under the Bill being put forward by the party.
Protection orders typically ban contact with a victim, using or threatening to use violence against them, and watching or being near a victim's home.
Sinn Féin's justice spokesman
Matt Carthy
was due to introduce the Victims of Sexual Violence Civil Protection Orders Bill 2025 at first stage in the Dáil on Thursday.
READ MORE
He said the legislation came about as a result of engagements he had had with a number of victims of sexual assault who 'have got increasingly worried and anxious as the date of the release of the perpetrator comes closer'.
[
Ireland was a place where ruthless husbands were free to 'bounce a boot off' their wives
Opens in new window
]
Mr Carthy said recourse available to the victims 'has been incredibly limited', and that victims are 'dependent on the gardaí to follow up on other provisions in place'.
His party colleague, Dublin South Central TD Máire Devine, said there is an 'epidemic' of violence against women, much of it perpetrated by former partners.
She said protection of women and children, once offenders are released from custody, is 'of the utmost importance'.
Mr Carthy said Sinn Féin's legislation would allow for a judge to apply a post-release civil protection order for offenders at the time of the initial trial, when a suspect is found guilty and sentenced.
[
Anti-stalking protection orders: 'There are a lot of people who have been waiting a long time for this'
Opens in new window
]
He said: 'At present under the harassment law there is a provision for judges to apply these types of orders post-release, but this isn't there in terms of the civil protection orders in relation to sexual violence cases, so there's an anomaly there.'
The Cavan-Monaghan TD said he is hopeful of support from all political parties and particularly the Government so the legislation can be enacted 'as a matter of priority'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
8 hours ago
- Irish Times
‘None of us are free until everyone is free': Tens of thousands attend Budapest Pride in defiance of ban
Tens of thousands of protesters marched through Hungary's capital on Saturday as a banned LGBTQ+ rights rally swelled into a mass demonstration against the government. Crowds filled a square near Budapest's city hall before setting off across the city, some waving rainbow flags, others carrying signs mocking prime minister Viktor Orban . 'This is about much more, not just about homosexuality .... This is the last moment to stand up for our rights,' said Eszter Rein Bodi, one of the marchers. 'None of us are free until everyone is free,' one sign read. READ MORE Small groups of far-right counter-protesters attempted to disrupt the parade, but police kept them away and diverted the route of the march to avoid any clashes. Participants march in the Budapest Pride parade on Saturday. Photograph:Mr Orban's nationalist government has gradually curtailed the rights of the LGBTQ+ community in the past decade, and its members of parliament passed a law in March that allows for the ban of Pride marches, citing the need to protect children. Opponents see the move as part of a wider crackdown on democratic freedoms ahead of a national election next year when Mr Orban will face a strong opposition challenger. Organisers said participants arrived from 30 different countries, with 70 members of the European Parliament, including from Ireland, joining the parade. More than 30 embassies have expressed support for the march and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen called on Hungarian authorities to let it go ahead. Seventy Hungarian civil society groups, including the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, Transparency International Hungary and the Hungarian Helsinki Commission, published an open letter on Friday in support of the march, saying the law that led to the police ban 'serves to intimidate the entire society'. 'The right to assembly is a basic human right, and I don't think it should be banned. Just because someone does not like the reason why you go to the street, or they do not agree with it, you still have the right to do so,' said Krisztina Aranyi, another marcher. Budapest's municipality organised the Pride march in a move to circumvent a law that allows police to ban LGBTQ+ marches. Photograph: Peter Kohalmi/AFP via Getty Images Budapest mayor Gergely Karacsony tried to circumvent the law by organising the march as a municipal event, which he said does not need a permit. Police, however, banned the event, arguing that it fell under the scope of the child protection law. Mr Orban, whose government promotes a Christian-conservative agenda, provided some clues on Friday about what participants can expect when he warned of 'legal consequences' for organising and attending the march. Earlier this week his justice minister Bence Tuzson warned in a letter sent to some foreign embassies in Budapest that organising a prohibited event is punishable by one year in jail, while attending counts as a misdemeanour. The law that allows for the ban of Pride lets police impose fines and use facial recognition cameras to identify people who attend. When asked about the threat of a one-year jail term, Mr Karacsony said at a press briefing on Friday that such a sentence would only boost his popularity. 'But I cannot take it seriously,' he said. Making the march a key topic of political discourse has allowed the Orban government to take the initiative back from the opposition and mobilise its voter base, said Zoltan Novak, an analyst at the Centre for Fair Political Analysis. Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban. Photograph: John Thys/AFP via Getty Images 'In the past 15 years, Fidesz decided what topics dominated the political world,' he said, noting that this has become more difficult as Mr Orban's party has faced an increasing challenge from centre-right opposition leader Peter Magyar's Tisza party, which had a 15-point lead over Fidesz in a recent poll. Tisza, which has been avoiding taking a strong position on gay rights issues, did not specify in response to questions whether it believed the Pride march was lawful, but said those attending deserved the state's protection. 'Peter Magyar has called on the Hungarian authorities and police to protect the Hungarian people this Saturday, and on other days as well, even if it means standing up against the arbitrariness of power,' its press office said. Mr Magyar himself did not attend. - Reuters
The Journal
9 hours ago
- The Journal
Former Fianna Fáil minister Mary Hanafin 'would happily' contest the presidency
LAST UPDATE | 1 hr ago FORMER FIÁNNA FÁIL minister Mary Hanafin has said that she's 'in the mix' for the party's presidential nomination. 'If I could contest it, I would happily do that. It's a role I would hope people could feel I would do well, both nationally and internationally,' she told The Irish Independent . Sixty-six-year-old Hanafin previously told The Irish Times in April that she was open to the conversation of contesting the presidency – although she said it was ultimately up to Taoiseach and party leader Micheál Martin. She is the first Fianna Fáil party member to announce her intention to contest the nomination. This afternoon, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú was asked on RTÉ's Saturday with Colm Ó Mongain if she had ruled out a bid for the Fianna Fáil presidential nomination, who replied that she was 'extremely happy' in her current role as an MEP. Ní Mhurchú did not wholly rule out the prospect. Fine Gael's MEP Seán Kelly has all but declared his intention to run, having told The Journal in Brussels earlier this week that the main deterrent is the length of a presidential term. Hanafin was first elected to the Dáil in 1997, serving the Dún Laoghaire constituency. Throughout her three consecutive terms as a TD, she held a number of Cabinet positions, including Minister for Education, Minister for Enterprise, and Minister for Social and Family Affairs, and Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport. Advertisement Hanafin pictured in 2011. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo In 2011, she was briefly deputy leader of Fianna Fáil, having lost the party's leadership election to incumbent leader Micheál Martin. Hanafin left office in 2011. In 2014, she served as a councillor on Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown county council, representing Blackrock. She remained on the council until 2024. In 2014, Hanafin defied the wishes of Martin for her to refrain from submitting nomination papers to contest the local elections in the Blackrock area. Dubbed the 'Battle of Blackrock', Hanafin was ultimately elected on the first count. She drew criticism from former Taoiseach Brian Cowen's wife Mary Cowen in 2016, when Hanafin was apparently rebuffed by Martin after she announced she intended to join Fianna Fáil's front bench were she elected to the Dáil. Hanafin subsequently made remarks regarding Martin at the party's ardfheis – which Mary Cowen derided in a Facebook post. Hanafin is the daughter of Des Hanafin, a businessman and Fianna Fáil councillor who also served as a senator. Her brother John Hanafin was a member of the Seanad from 2002 to 2008. She is currently a barrister. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
12 hours ago
- Irish Times
Man (20s) dies after being struck by a car in Ballymun, Dublin
A man has died after being hit by a car in north Dublin in the early hours of Saturday. The incident occurred in Ballymun shortly before 5am, An Garda Síochána said. 'At approximately 4:55am, gardaí and emergency services were alerted to a road traffic incident involving a car and a pedestrian at Balbutcher Lane,' the force said in a statement. 'The pedestrian, a man aged in his 20s, was pronounced deceased at the scene.' READ MORE The road was closed on Saturday morning to allow Garda forensic collision investigators to carry out a technical examination of the scene. Local diversions were in place. An Garda Síochána appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the collision to come forward. 'Any road users or pedestrians who were in the vicinity of Balbutcher Lane and Balcurris Park areas of Ballymun, between 4am and 5am, and have camera footage (including dash-cam), are asked to make this available to investigating gardaí.' Gardaí at Ballymun station can be contacted on (01) 6664400 or through the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111. The young man killed in the incident is the 82nd person to die on the State's roads this year, with the total including 22 pedestrians.
