Call for safeguarding legislation after Josie Ray murder
The case of Josie Ray, the 89-year-old woman murdered in her home in Nenagh, Co Tipperary in 2024, "identifies very clearly" Ireland's "lack of any adult safeguarding framework".
The tragic murder of 89-year-old Josie Ray in her Nenagh home has exposed Ireland's glaring absence of adult safeguarding legislation, according to Patricia Rickard-Clarke, Chair of Safeguarding Ireland. Gori, the 52-year-old convicted murderer, received a life sentence in a three-week trial at the Central Criminal Court in Limerick.
Ms Rickard-Clarke emphasized that her organization has been advocating for adult safeguarding legislation, which she considers one of their top priorities. The second priority is the establishment of a cross-sectoral independent safeguarding body, equipped with legislative powers to coordinate all aspects of adult-safeguarding. She stressed that such a body would receive reports of actual or suspected abuse or harm and respond accordingly.
While coercive control has existed in domestic violence legislation since 2018, it does not extend to other relationships or interactions. Ms Rickard-Clarke also highlighted gaps in data sharing, which hinder effective safeguarding practices. She urged for urgent action on these issues, suggesting that relevant provisions could be included in a pending Criminal Justice Bill.
Written by urgent.news from RTE News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
