FORMER GARDA MARGARET Loftus, who experienced domestic abuse at the hands of her garda ex-husband, has told TDs and Senators that her experience of dealing with the justice system “utterly brought me to my knees”.
Her ex-husband Trevor Bolger (48), who has been suspended from the force since December 2019, received a three-month suspended sentence last month after pleading guilty to assaulting Loftus on 25 October 2012.
Following his conviction, Loftus has spoken out about how her experience of pursuing justice was as “traumatising and damaging as the abuse”, with her case involving a total of 58 court appearances.
Margaret Loftus in Leinster House today. Rollingnews.ie
Rollingnews.ie
In her victim impact statement, Loftus described the attack, which occurred after a family event in her childhood bedroom in Co Mayo, as “protracted” and “terrifying”.
Loftus described a meeting she had earlier today with Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan as “very good” and “productive”, praising O’Callaghan and the current Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly, for how they have responded to her case.
“The last time I was meeting with the Minister for Justice, the resolution I was offered at the end of it was a hug.
“So I was very glad that today there’s a more measured, actionable response being taken to the situation,” Loftus said.
She continued: “He has assured me, along with Fiosrú, who is the oversight body for An Garda Síochána, that they have been funded and resourced recently to carry out an entire systemic review of misogyny within An Garda Síochána.”
Loftus made the remarks at a presentation to Oireachtas staff this afternoon following an invitation from Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh and Senator Pauline Tully.
“I think it is being treated with the importance it should be treated with right now. And I would have nothing but good to say about the current Garda Commissioner, Justin Kelly. He was the senior investigation officer in my case, and it was him who got this to where it got to,” Loftus said.
In her presentation to TDs and Senators, Loftus detailed the challenges she faced while trying to seek justice.
“My experience of this entire process has completely and utterly brought me to my knees and broken me in every way possible.
“I’m standing here today as emotionally intact as I can be, but do not underestimate the trauma that this experience has had on my life and the life of my family,” an emotional Loftus said.
The Mayo woman said she was “not looking for sympathy” and that she wanted legislators to use their power to do everything they can to highlight the “inefficiencies and the injustice” within the legal system.
“Justice should never rely on those who manage to survive long enough and shout loud enough to be heard.
(L-R) Senator Pauline Tully, Women’s Aid CEO Sarah Benson, Margaret Loftus, TD Rose Conway Walsh. Jane Matthews
Jane Matthews
“He was rewarded, allowed to flourish, while I was punished and intimidated,” Loftus said, referring to the fact her ex-husband was promoted in the gardaí and issued with a firearm after he was investigated for threatening to kill her.
Speaking alongside Loftus this afternoon, Women’s Aid CEO Sarah Benson noted that 35% of women in Ireland will experience physical, psychological or sexual abuse from a domestic partner.
She appealed to TDs and Senators to use their influence to build greater support for victims of abuse.
On top of what she deemed “unacceptable delays and inexplicable decisions” in the criminal justice system, Benson highlighted the failure of the criminal law system to communicate appropriately with the family law system in cases involving domestic abuse.
She noted that a victim of domestic violence may have criminal proceedings underway, but they are siloed and invisible in the family law system.
She urged TDs and Senators to make sure that when they are creating laws, to ask themselves if it is gender-informed and to view it through a “victim-centred lens”.
“I absolutely appreciate the rights of the accused, but we still have so much more to do to vindicate the rights of victims in this country,” Benson said.
