Family, sexual violence needs serious action

 A health professional has called on the Government and donor countries to take serious action against family and sexual violence in the country.

Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) operating theatre nurse in Tari Aoife Ni Mhurchu told The National that the degree of damage that was done and the level of threat and terror to the women and children was unimaginable.

“As a health professional, here to deliver the best care that I can to the patients, in the hope that they will regain their health and wellbeing, it is very difficult to see all of these women trapped in such a cycle of violence,” she said. 

“They can get very good treatment with MSF in terms of medical care and psychological care, but then they go home, back into the cycle of violence where they have no control.”

She said it was very frustrating and disappointing to see women and children being let down by the system.

“There are no structures in place to prevent it happening again,” she said.

“It concerns me greatly to see their injuries escalate with each visit. I even see severe bush knife wounds that are not compatible with life. Not everybody survives.”

Mhurchu said another great concern was that children were very exposed to the violence and it was very difficult to control that exposure.

“I regularly treat children and babies with swollen faces, broken noses and chop wounds who have been hit while on their mother’s back, while she is being assaulted,” she said. 

“What I see in Tari is that the children experience the trauma together with the women. It is trauma for the whole family.

“My greatest concern and what I think I have begun to see, is that early exposure to such violence, leads to acceptance that it is part of society and that it is normal. 

“There is no end to the violence and the authorities not addressing it.

“I urge the Government and the donor countries to take action on these issues for the sake of the many women and children that I see every single day suffering this cycle of abuse.”