Support for victims of domestic and sexual violence ‘steadfast’ over Christmas period – Justice Minister Simon Harris

 26th December 2022

Gardaí and the Department of Justice are relaunching a national domestic violence awareness campaign over the Christmas period.

The ‘Still Here’ campaign, first developed in April 2020, focuses on ensuring victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence are aware of supports in place for them.

The campaign will run across a variety of platforms including TV, radio and social media while also running on services such as Spotify and YouTube.

Justice Minister Simon Harris said the support for victims of domestic and sexual violence remains “steadfast” from the Government and frontline services.

“Unfortunately, we know that home is not a safe place for all of us. I want victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence to know that they are not on their own, particularly at this time of year,” he said.

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“An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service and other services, including the vital supports provided by our community and voluntary sector, are still here for you over the Christmas period,” Mr Harriss aid.

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Minister of State for Law Reform James Browne encouraged people to listen to the adverts which “portray the stark reality” of the types of abuse many people face.

“Those of us lucky enough to never experience such vile behaviours should educate ourselves on what we could do if we witnessed someone else being abused in such a way and how we could help.”

Gardaí have also said they will continue to treat domestic abuse as a priority over the festive period.

The Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said the force is unwavering in our commitment to supporting victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and investigating and prosecuting offenders.

“We are focused on a number of operational areas that we believe will enhance how individual Gardaí respond to victims and incidents of domestic abuse to ensure that no matter where a person lives, the service and protection they receive from An Garda Síochána will always be of a consistently high standard. This is true all year round and especially so at Christmas.”