15/10/2026
The case mentioned in today’s Irish Independent article by Shane Phelan (https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/man-who-allegedly-threatened-to-rape-and-kill-ex-partner-allowed-to-cross-examine-her-in-court/a/163051924.html) compounds Safe Ireland’s ongoing concerns for victim-survivors of domestic s*x and gender based violence and abuse in the midst of the ongoing criminal legal aid dispute.
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A woman who has already taken the steps to secure her safety, and that of her children, was further traumatised during a cross examination by the alleged perpetrator; she later gave video evidence from a Garda station.
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No individual seeking protection from abuse should be placed in a position where they are required to engage directly with the person alleged to have harmed them, as a consequence of the current dispute. The longer the current impasse remains unresolved, the greater the risk that victim-survivors become discouraged from continuing their engagement with the criminal justice process.
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Safe Ireland fully recognises the importance of a sustainable and properly resourced criminal legal aid system. We also recognise the critical role played by criminal defence practitioners in ensuring the effective functioning of the courts and the protection of fair trial rights.
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However, we urge that every effort be made to secure an urgent resolution to the current dispute while, in the interim, ensuring that appropriate safeguards are put in place to protect victim-survivors from further harm.
