Domestic and sexual abuse strategy launched

The justice and health ministers have launched a Domestic and Sexual Abuse strategy for Northern Ireland.

It comes just a week after the Executive Office launched an Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy.

The Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy is not solely focused on women, it will attempt to tackle violence against men, children and young people, and intimate partner violence within the LGBTQ+ community.

It will also look at issues affecting ethnic minority communities, and abuse suffered by older people and those with disabilities.

A new service, which will afford free legal advice to child victims of sex offences, was announced alongside additional funding of £1.62m for the first year.

The document cites data showing that on average domestic abuse is reported to police every 16 minutes and a sexual offence every two hours.

It will cover a seven year period overall with a three year action plan.

Naomi Long told BBC NI that everything in the strategy is scalable if and when more funding becomes available.

"These are huge issues which are lifechanging experiences for people."

"We recognise there is a need for investment but we have limited resources."

"Not everything is about money, sometimes it's about thoughtfulness, it's about considered action, it's about how we do what we do better, rather than doing something additional."

There are five key pillars for action in the strategy, they are:

• Children and young people
• Partnership
• Prevention
• Support
• Justice

Speaking to BBC News NI, Bronagh Muldoon of the NSPCC said ''we need to empower our children to recognise what a healthy relationship is and talk to them about what they need to know in terms of, not only keeping themselves safe, but what actually constitutes a healthy relationship.''

Almost a third of victims of domestic abuse are male.

One male victim of domestic violence told the BBC:

"I'm hopeful for this positively helping victims in the future. But I don't know if frameworks and strategies are enough without legislation."

"This will forever be a challenge for society as abuse will continue to happen but how its handled, investigated, prosecuted, and reported on in the media that will shape attitudes."

"The challenges for men who suffer domestic abuse are compounded by a severe lack of resources and support for these guys during and after abuse."

Rhonda Lusty from the Men's Advisory Project says there were huge discrepancies in how male victim support services are funded.

"The support fundamental is not currently equal, our equality Act says support for all victims of domestic abuse, it doesn't have to be the same but it does have to be equal. And what we can see at the moment is that support for men and boys is not equal.

"For the strategy to work as it should and we really want it to work we need the funding and the desire in government to provide equal support to men and boys and their children."

Some of the £1.62m funding will used for a small grant scheme that voluntary and community sector organisations can apply to.

Working across sectors, departments and taking "a whole society approach" is a key part of this new strategy.

Long said "Partnership is absolutely at the heart of this strategic response."

The Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said: "Partnership is a key thread running through this strategy. If we are going to tackle domestic and sexual abuse, we need to work together. None of us can do this alone."