Sir, – The recent first-ever conviction following trial for the offence of "coercive control" in the Irish courts was an important landmark case for adult safeguarding, and it also highlighted a number issues to be addressed (News, January 21st).
Research data gathered by Safeguarding Ireland during 2020 showed coercive control to be highly prevalent (a majority of adults reported some experience of it).
While this case drew from new provisions in the 2018 Domestic Violence Act, which are to be welcomed, Safeguarding Ireland believes that much wider reaching laws and public understanding is needed.
In the 2018 Act the crime of coercive control is only convictable in the context of an “intimate” relationship.
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Issues of abusive influence, threatening, violence and control can equally arise among adults in close relationships which are not “intimate”, including those between adult children and older parents who are vulnerable or frail.
Coercive control can be a difficult crime to observe and identify, often starting subtly, escalating and remaining concealed from public view. Greater awareness is needed among the vulnerable, the general public and among professionals in identifying and reporting this crime.
Safeguarding Ireland will be making coercive control central to its public awareness work this year – to encourage understanding of its prevalence, to obtain broader legislation, and for greater collective action to tackle it. – Yours, etc,
PATRICIA
RICKARD-CLARKE,
Chairwoman,
Safeguarding Ireland,
Rathgar,
Dublin 6.