Three men were convicted in recent months of multiple crimes of abuse against women. All three were serving gardaí at the time they committed the offences.

Paul Moody is now serving his second jail term for offences including coercive control affecting multiple victims-survivors. Ashley Masterson, like many courageous women, waived her anonymity to ensure David Reynolds, her former spouse, was named after he pleaded guilty to controlling and coercive behaviour. Trevor Bolger is challenging his dismissal by the Garda Commissioner following his conviction and sentencing for the assault of his then wife and fellow garda Margaret Loftus, another courageous woman who has taken on a crusade for the benefit of others.

Understandably, people may be asking themselves if these three high-profile cases are isolated incidents or are part of a worrying pattern of abuse.

While considerable attention is paid to police violence in the public sphere, less attention has generally been given to abuse perpetrated by police in their private lives, including against their intimate partners. This is the case both in Ireland and globally.

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What is, however, well documented is how police officers who are abusers can use their institutional powers. They are trained in interrogation and use of force; they know how crimes are investigated and therefore how to cover their tracks; and they have access to personal data and official communications channels.

My office, Fiosrú, is operating in the context of a wholly new and expanded level of statutory accountability in policing oversight, one that did not exist before. This includes new powers in the area of domestic, sexual and........

© The Irish Times