Justice Minister Naomi Long and Health Minister Mike Nesbitt have jointly launched a new strategy aimed at tackling Domestic and Sexual Abuse in Northern Ireland.

As part of the announcement, it was revealed that on average domestic abuse is reported to police every 16 minutes and a sexual offence every two hours in Northern Ireland.

A seven-year strategy, it is designed around five pillars: partnership, prevention, children & young people, support and provision, and justice. As part of the strategy, a three-year action plan has also been released.

Minister Naomi Long said speaking at the launch held at NSPCC Belfast:

“We know that domestic and sexual abuse transcends boundaries of gender, age, sexual orientation, and ethnicity. It is insidious and pervading, leaving an indelible mark. Its victims are those who have been directly impacted by it and those who have witnessed it, or who live in its formidable shadow.

“We are committed to creating a society in Northern Ireland where domestic and sexual abuse are not tolerated, where victims receive the support they need and where those responsible are held to account. This strategy is our sincere attempt to deliver on that aim, so that no one has to live in fear of abuse.”

The announcement of this strategy is promising and indicates an awareness from the Northern Ireland Government of the real scope of domestic and sexual abuse. In particular, the strategy recognises that men also experience abuse and makes particular mention of strategies to raise awareness and dispel victim stereotyping.

Furthermore, the strategy makes specific mention of the abuse of older people and acknowledges the challenges and barriers that specifically face older people, stating:

In many cases older people may wish to protect family members. In some cases, they may find it difficult to report if the person abusing them is also their carer or they are financially dependent on them. They may also have normalised abuse that has been going on for a long period of time.

The strategy also promotes the importance of specialist support and acknowledges the importance of partnership working to provide victim-survivors with tailored support, citing a ‘joined up approach’.

Within its actions, the strategy also highlights the need to change attitudes that reinforce harmful stereotypes and that a ‘lack of understanding of the issues, or negative attitudes that may be held across society, can be a real barrier to people speaking out and seeking support’. This is especially true for older people, who are rarely represented in mainstream media as victim-survivors of abuse and are less aware of support options available to them.

It is promising to see frequent mentions of age as a factor, alongside a section on the abuse of older people as a victim characteristic that requires a specialist approach. Anyone can be a victim of abuse and we are glad to see this acknowledged.

We’re also pleased to see that specific issues raised during a consultation with Hourglass, such as focus on specific group needs and a focus on male victims, have been considered and amended.

But there are still measures not yet considered, such a focus on restorative justice which is of particular concern to older victim-survivors who may not want to see family members go through the criminal justice system, if other options are available. This can result in older victim-survivors feeling that they must remain in an abusive situation, afraid to get a family member into trouble or causing rifts within a family unit.

Of particular concern is that the strategy does not go far enough in highlighting the need for ring-fenced funding for specialist services. It’s vital that older victim-survivors are given parity from a funding perspective to allow them to access specialist life-saving support. Hourglass’ Community Response model has been instrumental in supporting older victim-survivors from early-intervention all the way to recovery. These services are staffed by older person’s Independent Domestic Violence Advisors (IDVAs) and Independent Sexual Violence Advisors (ISVAs), trained specifically on recognising and responding to the abuse of older people, focusing on victim-led tailored support.

This lines in with the strategies fourth pillar which outlines its objective as:

Ensuring that all victims of domestic and/or sexual abuse can access tailored, responsive and specialised support and provision to recover and rebuild their lives.

But services like these cannot thrive without ring-fenced funding and support.

Hourglass is calling for the abuse of older people, which affects over 100,000 people in Northern Ireland, to be further focused on and be a pillar of the strategy as it progresses.

We would like to see specific measures within this strategy to tackle the abuse of older people, to support those affected and raise awareness of the issue amongst the general public. With a rapidly ageing population in Northern Ireland, which is set to grow by over 25% by 2050, the abuse of older people is an issue that is only going to worsen without intervention.

We’re seeking to work hand-in-hand with the Department of Health and Department of Justice to support this strategy, ensure ring-fenced funding is available and that older victim-survivors are being represented and supported properly.

We want to create a society that truly values safer ageing. We are at the forefront, pushing for tackling this abuse through raising awareness, promoting co-operative working between sectors and calling for ring-fenced funding to ensure support is widely available. But we need your help.

Our OATH campaign is the first step in acknowledging the abuse coming together to stand against it. For those in any sector that encounters older people, taking the OATH is a statement that you are prepared to help older victims of abuse when they need it most.

Earlier this year, Chief Inspector Jacqui Durkin and Deputy Chief Inspector James Corrigan of the Criminal Justice Inspectorate signed the OATH and supported our call for a Safer Ageing Society by 2050.

We’re calling for those within the Department of Justice, Department and Health and across Stormont to take the OATH and make a commitment to creating a safer society, for us all to age in.

Join us and show your support for a safer future, by taking the OATH here: https://wearehourglass.org/oath

Read our Safer Ageing Index for Northern Ireland, which highlights the true challenges faced by older people here: https://wearehourglass.org/safer-ageing-indexes