An Amnesty International report to be published today claims that a pattern of domestic violence, rape, sexual assault and trafficking has been allowed to exist in this State and the Government is doing little to combat it.
The report finds that the Government is not "exercising due diligence" in preventing, investigating and punishing violence and it warns that the Government is in breach of international human rights law if it does not act to protect women.
The report, Justice and Accountability - Stop Violence Against Women, states that victims of violence believe the perpetrators act with impunity because they are not held accountable for their actions.
There is inadequate legal protection for female victims of violence and there is no definition of sexual assault in the relevant legislation, according to the report.
"There is little monitoring of the effectiveness of legal and other measures to prevent, investigate and punish violence against women in real terms, ie, how many women have experienced violence and how many men have been punished."
"Justice is not being served, either in terms of the effective punishing of perpetrators or the rights of women to be free from violence, and to protection, redress and reparation."
The report points out that there is a low level of reporting of domestic violence to the Garda and a high rate of withdrawal of applications for barring orders or complaints of breaches of orders.
Only 27 per cent of domestic violence reported cases lead to an arrest.
"Amnesty International urges that an independent review of implementation of the Garda domestic violence policy be periodically conducted," the report says.
It also points out that the incidence of rape and sexual assault is greatly under-reported, with only 7.8 per cent of women reporting their experiences of sexual violence to gardaí.
This State has one of the highest proportion of cases where prosecution does not follow the reporting of a sexual crime. "Currently, six out of every 10 reports will not proceed at this stage."
Where cases do end in conviction, "there is a perception of leniency in the sentencing of convicted offenders in cases of rape or sexual assault at Circuit and District Court level".
It says the collection of information on violence against women is "inadequate and fragmented" and the Government is not adequately funding the services that are trying to compile this data.
It is highly critical of the State's "extensive failure" to implement key recommendations in a 1997 task force on violence against women report.
"Ultimately, the failure to adopt a national strategy . . . to implement the taskforce report is perhaps the most notable indication that the State has failed to exercise due diligence in the prevention, investigation and punishment of violence against women."
The report also highlights the plight of "vulnerable women" who are subjected to abuse. This group includes prostitutes, women with alcohol or drug problems, women with disabilities, homeless women, older women and asylum seekers.
It says that Ireland is both a destination and a transit country for the trafficking of unaccompanied minors "often for the purpose of sexual exploitation" but victims of trafficking were "almost entirely without protection".
The report calls for specific measures to help such victims and warns that sensitive policing is necessary as many trafficked women are already suspicious of law-enforcement and immigration officials.
