Violence against women `spiralling'

All relevant authorities in Ireland should adopt the zero-tolerance policy adopted at this year's Sinn Fein Ardfheis to combat…

All relevant authorities in Ireland should adopt the zero-tolerance policy adopted at this year's Sinn Fein Ardfheis to combat the "spiralling problem" of violence against women, a Sinn Fein assembly member, Ms Michelle Gildernew, said yesterday in Belfast.

The need for domestic violence to be combated at all levels was underlined by the court system's "totally inadequate" response to this problem, she added.