New laws aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence come into effect today, with the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre saying the laws are an important step forward.
The legislation includes the creation of the new offence of coercive control - referring to psychological abuse in a relationship that causes "fear of violence, or serious alarm or distress that has a substantial adverse impact on a person’s day-to-day activities".
It also introduces a new criminal offence of forced marriage being introduced.
Safety orders will be available to people who are in intimate relationships but not cohabiting, and emergency barring orders can be issued when there's an "immediate risk" of significant harm.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said the new laws are a "major step" towards achieving Ireland's international pledges to prevent violence against women and domestic violence.
He explained: “For too long, domestic violence has been seen primarily as physical abuse.
"The new offence of coercive control recognises that the effect of non-violent control in an intimate relationship can be as harmful to victims as physical abuse because it is an abuse of the unique trust associated with an intimate relationship."
Noeline Blackwell, CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, also described the new laws as a "really important step forward".
She said: "While we have had laws around domestic violence, we've never had a piece of legislation before that concentrates on the totality of domestic violence - which goes right through from physical assault, through financial and emotional abuse [and] sexual violence."
