<p>
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">The domestic violence support group recorded a 55% year-on-year increase in violence against children of abused women in 2012.&nbsp;</span></p>
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	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Women disclosed on 3,230 occasions last year that their children had suffered emotional, physical, and sexual abuse.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Children were hit, sometimes with household items, smacked, constantly shouted at, and, in some cases, sexually abused.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;The most recent figures for referrals of child abuse to the Health Service Executive show that there were 19,044 referrals in 2012,&rdquo; said Ms Fitzgerald. &ldquo;This represents a doubling in referrals in seven years from 9,503 in 2005.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Women&rsquo;s Aid director Margaret Martin said: &ldquo;At times, the perpetrator has deliberately targeted the children as a way to hurt both them and their mother.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">At the launch of the 2012 Women&rsquo;s Aid report, Ms Martin said more than 1,000 children saw their mothers abused last year.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;Many children have witnessed their mother being shouted at, threatened, physically assaulted and at times have seen their mother being raped.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Women&rsquo;s Aid says custody and access arrangements in family law proceedings often disregard the impact of violence on children and risk continuing abuse of the children and their mothers.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;Child contact should not outweigh child protection and safety should be prioritised in all custody and access proceedings,&rdquo; said Ms Martin.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;To do anything less is to fail women and children.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Women&rsquo;s Aid believes the best-practice principle of protecting the child through the non-abusive parent should be reflected in any changes to family law or domestic violence legislation, as well as changes to any child protection structures.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">It is also calling for the provision of an out-of-hours on-call system for emerg-ency barring orders, which would provide 24/7 access to legal protection for women and their children when they need it the most.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">The Woman&rsquo;s Aid free-phone helpline answered 11,729 calls last year &mdash; about 65% of all calls made.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;The ability of some women to escape domestic violence is being hampered by the recession,&rdquo; said Ms Martin.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;Women fear increased impoverishment, losing their home, and the effect of poverty on their children.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;Women who do try to leave often find it harder or impossible to access vital supports such as housing, refuge, welfare, and legal representation.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">Some women who escape an abusive relationship find it does not mean the end of the abuse. Last year, 49% of women supported by the support group&rsquo;s one-to-one service experienced abuse from a former partner.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<a href="http://www.womensaid.ie/" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(38, 120, 150); line-height: 15px;" target="_blank">www.womensaid.ie</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
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	<b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&lsquo;Irish Examiner&rsquo; investigation showed understanding&nbsp;</b><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">There was a lot of positive feedback about the Irish Examiner&rsquo;s&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2013/0418/world/the-victim-aposi-would-have-been-deadapos-228624.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(38, 120, 150); line-height: 15px;" target="_blank">special investigation</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">of&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2013/0418/world/there-are-almost-30-incidents-a-day-228626.html" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(38, 120, 150); line-height: 15px;" target="_blank">domestic violence</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&nbsp;from women who called the Women&rsquo;s Aid national freephone helpline, it has emerged.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;The feedback, largely anecdotal, was that it was great to have this issue covered so well; that it was very comprehensive; and that a lot of the articles showed a deep understanding of what the issues were and a lot of care went into it,&rdquo; said Women&rsquo;s Aid director Margaret Martin.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;Too often, because domestic violence is such a complex issue, the kind of attention that is given to it is quite superficial.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">&ldquo;I think the Irish Examiner is really good at dealing with social justice issues. It is important the people experiencing domestic violence know that it is not just Women&rsquo;s Aid reaching out to them; that there are people in the media highlighting domestic violence as a very serious issue.&rdquo;&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
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	<b style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">2012 stats&nbsp;</b><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">* Around 32 calls were made daily last year to the Women&rsquo;s Aid helpline.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">* Staff managing the charity&rsquo;s freephone helpline &mdash; 1800 341 900 &mdash; answered 11,729 calls, holding 508 one-to-one support visits, and 162 court accompaniments.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">* Of those suffering domestic abuse, 97% were women and almost half were abused by their husband; 7% by an ex-husband, 16% by a partner and 10% by an ex-partner.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">* Only 7% sought help in the first year of an abuse.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">* Almost one third lived with abuse for one to five years, with 61% living with abuse for more than six years, including 6% who were with a violent partner for over 30 years before seeking help.&nbsp;</span><br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<br style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;" />
	<span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Tahoma, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px;">* Of those who called the helpline, 42% were from Dublin, while 27% of calls came from outside the capital. Almost one third of callers did not disclose their location.</span></p>
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