{"id":10673,"date":"2019-11-06T10:32:58","date_gmt":"2019-11-06T14:32:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=10673"},"modified":"2019-11-06T20:35:14","modified_gmt":"2019-11-07T00:35:14","slug":"ireland-gripped-by-an-epidemic-of-gender-based-violence-says-taoiseach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=10673","title":{"rendered":"Ireland ‘Gripped by an Epidemic of Gender-Based Violence’ Says Taoiseach"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Ana Kriegel<\/figcaption><\/figure>The Taoiseach said his heart goes out to the parents of Ana Kriegel as he acknowledged Ireland is gripped by \u201can epidemic of gender-based violence\u201d.<\/p>\n

Leo Varadkar was pressed in the D\u00e1il on his Government\u2019s record on supporting victims of sex crime by Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger.<\/p>\n

Ms Coppinger described the 14-year-old schoolgirl\u2019s murder as the \u201cmost extreme example of sexual assault and misogyny\u201d Ireland had seen.<\/p>\n

She referenced alleged offences against other females, including what she described in the D\u00e1il as \u201creports of famous sports celebrities strutting around with impunity despite sexual assault allegations\u201d.<\/p>\n

Responding to her criticism that the Government was not doing enough to reform the justice system or invest in support services or education, Mr Varadkar began by expressing his sympathies to Ana\u2019s parents.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy condolences and also my heart goes out to the parents of Ana Kriegel,\u201d said the Taoiseach.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw them speaking yesterday and I just can\u2019t image what they are going through and what they will go through for the rest of their lives because of what happened to their beautiful daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mr Varadkar\u2019s comments come after two 15-year-old boys convicted of Ana\u2019s murder in Lucan, Co Dublin, in May 2018 were sentenced on Tuesday.<\/p>\n

Boy A, who was also convicted of aggravated sexual assault, was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to life, with a review period after 12 years.<\/p>\n

Boy B was sentenced to 15 years\u2019 detention, with a review after eight years.<\/p>\n

During leaders\u2019 questions in the D\u00e1il, Mr Varadkar told Ms Coppinger: \u201cThere is an epidemic of gender-based violence in Ireland and indeed across the world. And it does need to stop. And you asked me what the Government is doing about it and we\u2019re doing quite a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n

He listed the law changes and initiatives the Government had undertaken to protect and support victims of sex crime.<\/p>\n

Ms Coppinger, who last year famously displayed a thong in the D\u00e1il chamber as she alleged a victim-blaming culture in Ireland\u2019s courts, said the Government was not doing enough.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn the three counts of how complainants are treated in court, funding and education you have failed abysmally over the last year,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Claiming alleged rape victims were continually not being believed in courtrooms, the TD referenced reports of an Irish sport star facing allegations of sexual misconduct.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs it any wonder we\u2019ve reports of famous sports celebrities strutting around with impunity despite sexual assault allegations,\u201d she told the D\u00e1il chamber.<\/p>\n

\u201cAre women to go into hiding every time such a figure decides to go on a night out.\u201d<\/p>\n

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