ONE IN FOUR WELCOMES OIREACHTAS JUSTICE COMMITTEE’S REPORT ON REPORTING CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN
Today’s Report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice regarding the new Criminal Justice Bill, making it a crime to withhold information about crimes against children, is a welcome milestone on the road to making Ireland a safer place for children.
One in Four Executive Director Maeve Lewis says: “The members of the Committee are to be commended for the way in which they have grappled with the complex issue of mandatory reporting of crimes against children.They have clearly taken into account the submissions of experienced front-line organisations who work with children and with sexual violence.The Committee highlights the need to ensure that mandatory reporting does not deter victims of abuse from coming forward for help for fear of the consequences, and stresses the necessity of proper support for victims when making a report.”
Maeve Lewis ends: “We urge the Minister for Justice to give serious consideration to the Committee’s findings in the final drafting of the new Criminal Justice Bill.This will ensure that the legislation is robust and workable and will have a real impact in protecting Irish children from harm.”
