Latest news with #domestic violence
Irish Times
22-07-2025
- Irish Times
‘Upset, frustrated, angry': Woman criticises sentence given to late father's wife over his unlawful killing
A Dublin woman has criticised the leniency of the prison sentence given to her late father's wife and carer for unlawfully killing him. Olesja Hertova (49), of Hastings Lawn, Balbriggan, Dublin, admitted that she had 'forcefully' pushed James 'Shey' Ryan (69) resulting in his death on August 11th last. She was jailed for two years and nine months, backdated to last August, by Judge Martin Nolan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court earlier this month. The judge said Hertova, who had no previous convictions, had 'lost her temper with Mr Ryan', with CCTV footage from the night in question showing that he struck his head after being pushed. The couple had been together for 16 years. READ MORE 'I have no doubt that she did not intend to kill him,' Judge Nolan said. He noted that Mr Ryan, a former soldier who had Parkinson's disease and COPD , 'seems to have been a very popular and vital to his family' and his death had caused 'huge trauma'. Mr Ryan's daughter, Karen Ryan, on Tuesday said she had been suspicious of the circumstances surrounding her father's death as there was a history of domestic violence by Hertova, a Czech national, against him and another family member. Karen Ryan leaving the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin. Photograph: Collins Courts However, she was told the details of the domestic violence had to be retracted from her victim impact statement because Hertova had pleaded guilty. 'If this had gone to trial, all that domestic violence history would have been allowed into trial. But because she had admitted [to the charge], it's not allowed in,' she told RTÉ's Oliver Callan show. Regarding the sentence imposed, Ms Ryan said it left her feeling 'numb, shocked, upset, frustrated, angry'. 'I don't think there's enough words in the dictionary to describe how the whole family felt. We were brought in by the DPP a couple of weeks prior to this to say that she's probably going to serve less than five years. 'We were told that any domestic violence incidents that were called to the house would not be taken into effect because she had admitted to it and it wasn't going to trial.' Ms Ryan said the family would like to see a change in the relevant laws so a judge could ask whether there was a history of domestic violence in a home should such a situation arise in court. 'My dad had two safety orders that were never put through the courts,' she added. 'When we were going through his documents in the house, we found one of them.' She said a family member had told her Hertova found another of the orders and ripped it up. She said she did not know why Mr Ryan did not activate the safety order. The court heard Mr Ryan had purchased a half-bottle of vodka for Hertova to have at a barbecue at their house in the hours before he was injured. Once she had consumed the bottle of vodka, she went to the shop and purchased more alcohol. After the barbecue, Mr Ryan went to a local pub and at 1am was seen entering a takeaway. He then took a taxi home, arriving at 1.30am. The court heard that when Mr Ryan arrived home, he and Hertova began to argue, and Mr Ryan walked out the front door of his home and unlocked a car in the driveway. Hertova followed him out and told him not to drive. She then pushed Mr Ryan, and he fell to the ground. An ambulance transferred Mr Ryan to Beaumont Hospital where he was later referred to palliative care. He died on August 11th. Ms Ryan said she would encourage anyone experiencing domestic violence, be they male or female, to speak to someone about their situation.
RNZ News
16-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
'200 years to pay back debt': Lender reveals cost of leaving abusive relationships
Leaving an abusive relationship often costs thousands of dollars. (File photo) Photo: 123RF A woman whose relationship deteriorated into abuse after she was diagnosed with a serious tumour, had to save for ten years to be able to leave. Social lender Good Shepherd said it was just one example of how hard it can be for people to get out of abusive relationships. The woman, whom Good Shepherd refers to as "Jen" to protect her identity, said the relationship dynamic changed when she became ill. "He took control of their finances including the support payment she received due to being unable to work. He would not allow Jen to access any money," Good Shepherd said in a note about the case. "His psychological abuse worsened over time. He wouldn't let Jen buy anything or drive their car. Jen was forbidden from seeing her friends. With no access to money, Jen got a credit card and kept a bank account hidden from her partner." It was ten years before she could leave the relationship, Good Shepherd said, and moved into a one-bedroom flat with her daughter, where they had to share a bed. She worked with Good Shepherd to wipe $7500 of bank debt she had built up during her relationship, and received a $300 grant to buy a second-hand kettle, reclining chair and fold-out couch. "Having to save for 10 years to leave a violent relationship is awful," said Good Shepherd chief executive Emma Saunders. Good Shepherd provided low- and no-interest loans for women and families facing high-cost unmanageable debt and economic abuse and family violence. Saunders said the organisation's analysis showed the cost of leaving an abusive relationship often came to at least $10,000. Someone's income could be disrupted and they would face high costs in finding a new place to live. "Social housing is available but the waitlist at March 2025 was sitting at 19,308 and it can take a long time to access." They might also need a car, a couch, a bed, a fridge, kitchenware, and clothing. Many people left all their possessions behind and had to start from nothing, she said. "This is only a small snapshot of the essential goods a woman fleeing violence would need to purchase for a home of her own. "They may also need to repurchase medications, prescription glasses, and other disability aids if needed." She said her estimates were based on people buying second-hand. "We're not talking about top of the range stuff but when you add moving costs and bond, household and personal items, people are often starting with zero." She said there needed to be continued awareness of family violence economic abuse. "Money is really essential to women experiencing abuse, leaving a relationship." There should be improved policies and practices to support customers experiencing family violence, and increased recognition of it in government work programmes, she said. She also called for more legal aid and free legal advice, as well as the eligibility limits being removed for cases where there was family violence. She said often it looked as if people had money that they did not actually have access to. Saunders said all debt-to-government related to family violence should also be wiped and people should be offered a one off grant. Saunders said most help was available as a loan rather than a grant, which left people paying off debt for a long time. "Even when it's an interest-free loan, it's still money you have to pay back, it's still money out of your pay packet. It's still money that you couldn't afford because maybe within your family violence situation you didn't have any access to money, or you had debt taken out in your name that you didn't know about and then you weren't allowed to work… "We have one client at the moment who it'll take over 200 years to pay back the debt she had to government. On one hand you think fantastic that they didn't say 'no you can't ever pay it back so we won't lend you something'… but on the other hand how ridiculous is that?" Fincap, which represents the country's' financial mentors, made a submission in June on the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill and said more needed to be done to support people coming out of violent relationships. They said mentors had dealt with multiple instances where women had debt on car loans they had been coerced into agreeing to and no access to the vehicle. In other cases, someone who separated from a partner with whom they had a mortgage were stuck paying unaffordable repayments because a partner refused to make a hardship application or refused to pay their share of the loan payments, putting the house in jeopardy. "We recommend the committee report back that the Government should look to endorse, or set, a review that determines how the law best supports fairness and efficiency in improving outcomes for borrowers who are survivors of family violence." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Unlikely excuse of top cop who's been allowed to retire after beating woman and having seedy affair
A disgraced police chief who was arrested for domestic violence has been allowed to quietly retire despite an investigation revealing he allegedly beat a woman, had a seedy affair with a subordinate officer and deliberately destroyed evidence. East Lyme Police Chief Michael Finkelstein, who had served as the department's top cop for eight years, officially retired on May 2 after an independent investigation uncovered a pattern of misconduct. The bombshell report, by Daigle Law Group released last month, revealed that Finkelstein's drama began in June 2024 when officers responded to his own home over he had assaulted a woman. The document also revealed he had an affair with a female officer that involved exchanging sexual texts and photos on department phones. In a letter addressed to the East Lyme Police Commission, Finkelstein attempted to explain his shocking behavior on mental health issues. He claimed he was 'suffering and in tremendous denial' throughout his tenure as chief. 'After 35 years of public service, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was taking its toll on my personal life,' Finkelstein wrote in his retirement letter. 'This played a role in my horrible decision to engage in an inappropriate relationship with my closest co-worker/subordinate, causing considerable damage to my marriage, family and career.' East Lyme Police Chief Michael Finkelstein, who had served as the department's top cop for eight years, officially retired on May 2 after an independent investigation uncovered misconduct The former chief claimed a 'traumatic work event' that left him with 'significant behavioral changes' had pushed him to the breaking point. He said he eventually required hospitalization and out-of-state rehabilitation. 'I was hospitalized, traveled out of state for rehab, then engaged in extensive outpatient care and therapy, all to address my battle with PTSD, major depression and self-medicating, which led to my domestic arrest,' Finkelstein said in the letter. 'The battle with this disease has been the toughest challenge I have ever experienced, which caused significant behavioral changes in me,' Finkelstein wrote. 'Ultimately, I know that the terrible mistakes I have made are solely my responsibility to face despite any disease.' But investigators say he not only cheated on his wife with a subordinate officer but also actively attempted to cover up evidence of the inappropriate relationship. When interviewed by investigators, the female officer admitted she and Finkelstein had exchanged texts and photos 'sexual in nature' on their department-issued phones – but claimed she had deleted all the compromising messages. Finkelstein initially denied ever sending or receiving sexual content to the officer, investigators said, and admitted he had performed a 'factory reset' on his phone which wiped all evidence. When confronted about destroying potential evidence that could be subject to Freedom of Information requests, Finkelstein claimed he 'didn't believe that applied to texts' and insisted 'he had the right to delete them,' according to the report. The investigation concluded that Finkelstein 'provided false information, destroyed evidence, had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate' and committed numerous other policy violations. Finkelstein also appeared before a judge in handcuffs when he was arrested on three additional charges of violation of a protective order, false statement and disorderly conduct in July Finkelstein – who had been on leave since his arrest – was permitted to retire rather than face termination. Despite all the claims against him, he's been allowed to potentially retain benefits after his 35-year career in law enforcement. In his retirement letter, Finkelstein apologized, writing: 'I realize that I have failed you as commissioners and elected officials, the citizens of the town of East Lyme who placed significant trust in me, the men and women of the East Lyme Police Department and their families, and most importantly, to my wife, kids and family.' RAB: Body camera footage released by the Connecticut State Police shows East Lyme Police Chief Michael Finkelstein's interactions with officers from his department during two domestic incidents at his home He added that his retirement 'will allow the town and police department the ability to move forward, and for my continued focus to remain on my family's healing.' 'In public safety, your employees are not simply a number,' he continued. 'They are real humans with human struggles who experience a significant amount of trauma doing the very job you ask them to.' 'In the future, I urge you not to ignore when an officer seeks out help to address the cause of their suffering. Create an opportunity to speak with them, learn from them, and when you refuse to speak to them, understand the significant frustration they experience. I thank you for the opportunity to serve and wish the East Lyme Police Department nothing but the best with their future success.'
