In his latest piece for The Countess, Consultant on Prisons, Gearóid O Loingsigh gets to the heart of the problem of male violence against women. Approximately 90% of MVAW occurs in the home. In February 2021, Safe Ireland[1]Safe Ireland (2021). Tracking the Shadow Pandemic – Lockdown 2. A report on women and children seeking support from...

In his latest article for The Countess, Gearóid Ó Loingsigh examines the OIP’s (Office of the Inspectorate of Prisons) latest report into conditions in Limerick Prison. He questions whether the report has been thorough enough in addressing the particular needs of women with regard to issues such as access to children, mental health care, and...

The danger of trans-identified male prisoners being housed in women’s prisons has been highlighted recently in the UK, with the Judicial Review Case brought by a female prisoner who claims she was sexually assaulted in Downview Prison by a trans-identified male prisoner with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC).

This is the second part of Dr Em's two-part feature on the experiences of the ever-growing cohort of ‘trans widows’ – women whose husbands have decided to ‘live as a woman’ – and the patterns of abuse enacted on them. Read part one here.  PART II: GASLIGHTING & PATTERNS OF BEHAVIOUR

In this important article, Dr Em recounts the experiences of the ever-growing cohort of ‘trans widows’ – women whose husbands have decided to ‘live as a woman’ – and identifies patterns of abuse enacted on them. The tragedy that the perpetrators of this abuse are hailed as ‘stunning and brave’ adds to the pain experienced by these...

The case of Barbie Kardashian and the decision to house him in Limerick Prison amongst female prisoners drew Irish people’s attention to the concept and consequences of men being able to self identify as women and wider issues surrounding the question of where trans prisoners should be housed and with whom.