BY CIARAN TIERNEY
Four out of 10 third level students in Galway said they knew someone who had been a victim of domestic violence in the most comprehensive study of its kind undertaken in the city, the results of which were published this week.

But, with 87% of those surveyed believing that abuse would never happen to them, charities working with victims on the ground believe that there needs to be far greater awareness of the extent of the problem in the city.

Local charities have noticed a “significant increase” in the number of physical, emotional and sexual abuse cases in Galway since the onset of the recession and believe there is a long way to go before people realise the full extent of the problem.

“There really is a case for breaking the silence on domestic violence,” said Liz Power of the Galway Rape Crisis Centre (GRCC) yesterday.

“In Northern Ireland, the police deal with a domestic violence case every 20 minutes, but we don’t really know the extent of the problem in the Republic because the Gardai don’t compile the figures.

“Sexual violence is horrendous, but so too is physical, emotional, or financial abuse. There has been a very real shift in our work-load since the recession. Many women do not have control over the family finances and the recession has made their lives unbearable.”

Three city-based organisations – COPE Galway, the GRCC, and Domestic Violence Response – came together to carry out a comprehensive survey of 400 students in Galway, in which 93% said they believed that sexual violence would never happen to them.

But, in an advertisement in the Galway City Tribune today, the three charities point out that 42% of Irish women and 28% of men have experienced sexual violence, while 18% of Irish women have experienced some form of violence by an intimate partner.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.