Ireland warns of growing tolerance for violence against women

A session of the Higher Education Committee in the Irish Parliament (Oireachtas) witnessed warnings of the increasing state of “insensitivity” towards violence against women, especially femicide, in addition to calls for strengthening efforts to confront sexual violence within institutions of higher education.

During the session, representatives of University of Galway andDundalk Institute of Technology A presentation of their policies and procedures for preventing and responding to sexual violence.

University of Galway Vice-Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Helen Maher, said coordination between relevant government agencies remains “inadequate” in addressing issues of sexual violence within universities, noting the need for a more integrated approach between official institutions.

For her part, Siobhan Molloy, responsible for the file on combating sexual violence and harassment at the Dundalk Institute of Technology, explained that about Only 12% of women Women who are exposed to sexual violence report it, stressing that many are reluctant to file complaints for fear of not being believed or being exposed to social stigma and blame.

The University of Galway revealed a recording 114% increase in reports of sexual violence since 2024Considering that this increase reflects growing confidence in the reporting mechanisms adopted by the university as part of its new policy to combat sexual violence.

Niamh Kavanagh, director of the sexual violence prevention and response program at the university, explained that there is a difference between “disclosure” and “reporting”, as disclosure means telling a member of the university community about the incident, while reporting is the beginning of formal procedures that include a risk assessment and support for the complainant, before referring the file to an independent external investigation team.

Kavanagh added that internal investigations are suspended if the Irish Police (Garda) open a criminal investigation, stressing that some victims do not want to go through the criminal justice process.

In turn, Clarissa De Santis, training officer in the “Effective Consent” program at the University of Galway, stressed that society still tolerates sexual violence to a disturbing degree, considering that simply educating individuals about the legal definition of consent is not enough, but rather a societal culture that categorically rejects sexual violence must be built, stressing that these crimes are the result of accumulated structural and cultural factors within society.