The Justice and Agriculture Ministers have met staff helping to
support domestic abuse victims living in rural communities.
and heard from staff at Women's
Aid Armagh Down (WAAD) during a visit to the charity's
headquarters at the ELEOS Centre in Newry, which coincides with
Rural Crime Week.
They were specifically interested to find out more about how WAAD
supports women and children living in rural communities who are
affected by domestic abuse.
Justice Minister said: “Domestic abuse
can occur in any family and in any home, but we know that it can
disproportionately impact women and children in rural
communities.
“That's why the services provided by Women's Aid Armagh
Down are so important; they are delivered in the heart of the
community, meaning they can transcend the isolation and stigma
exploited by perpetrators in rural areas.
“It is essential for services like this to exist to
provide women and children with the help they need to escape from
domestic abuse and also to recover and thrive as they move on
with their lives.”
, the Minister for Agriculture,
Environment and Rural Affairs, said: “My department
continues to work alongside the Department of Justice, the PSNI
and others to better understand and respond to the challenges
faced by our rural communities in NI when it comes to
crime. I recognise and acknowledge the detrimental impact
crime can have, affecting the lives and livelihoods of people in
rural communities. It is particularly important that we
shed light on the issue of domestic abuse in rural areas, where
these crimes can often go unnoticed and unreported and victims
can be more isolated.
“I wish to commend the work of the Women's Aid in
supporting all women and children, including those in rural
areas, who have experienced domestic abuse. This is just
one example of the vital work the voluntary and community sector
continues to do to support some of the most vulnerable in our
rural communities.”
WAAD, which was established in 1983, provides refuge and
community-based support services across the council areas of
Newry, Mourne & Down and Armagh, and Banbridge &
Craigavon, which has one of the highest recorded incidents of
domestic and sexual abuse.
Helen Cranney, WAAD Acting Chief Executive, said: “We welcomed
the visit from Ministers Muir and Long to our Resource Centre in
Newry today.
“It is essential for the Ministers to see what is happening on
the ground to support women and children in our community. We
talked to the Ministers about our Wellbeing programme and other
initiatives that are changing people's lives.
“The Ministers also had the opportunity to see the first phase of
our ELEOS early intervention centre of excellence.
“We are currently engaged in a £3million capital fundraising
project, led by our CEO Eileen Murphy, to deliver this
three-phase centre for women and children dealing with domestic
abuse.”
