New Fiosrú unit to probe domestic violence

Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman, has confirmed that it has set up a specialist services unit (SSU) to investigate incidents where a garda is accused of domestic violence, coercive control, abuse of power for sexual purposes, child sexual abuse, or sexual assault. 

The organisation said that the SSU, which was established last year, would also investigate public complaints where it was alleged that a garda failed to properly investigate incidents of this nature. 

Fiosrú said that the unit’s investigating officers were trained in interviewing vulnerable victims. 

‘Sensitivity and expertise’ 

“The formation of the specialist unit ensures that complaints of a sensitive nature made to Fiosrú are handled by dedicated and highly trained staff who can respond with the appropriate sensitivity and expertise,” it stated. 

The organisation’s offices have specialist facilities for interviewing children and vulnerable adults, and Fiosrú also has access to a network of such facilities across the country.

Last year, garda Trevor Bolger was given a three-month fully suspended jail sentence for the 2012 assault of his then wife, Margaret Loftus. 

'Progress'

The Irish Examiner quoted Loftus as describing the Fiosrú move as “progress”. 

The newspaper noted that Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly revealed in a report to the Policing and Community Safety Authority for February that there were 17 gardaí on suspension due to complaints of domestic violence and coercive control.

In November, Fiosrú had announced that human-rights lawyer and advocate Noeline Blackwell would assist it as an expert adviser on domestic, sexual, and gender-based violence.

The former chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is currently involved in a variety of activities – including children’s online safety with the Children’s Rights Alliance, independent research, and membership of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission and the Press Council.