Ministers of Justice and Health visit Nexus HQ in Belfast
On Monday 16th December 2024 Minister of Health, Mike Nesbitt, and Minister of Justice, Naomi Long, visited our headquarters in Belfast to meet with service users from our RESET aftercare project, which is designed to further support the recovery of victims and survivors following completion of their counselling journey.
Joanne Barnes, Nexus CEO, said:
“One of the key areas of work in RESET is providing people with lived experience the opportunity to advocate on behalf of victims and survivors. The recent Ministers’ visit provided the first opportunity for our service users to meet with external representatives who set the direction of policy and practice, and gave the Ministers the opportunity to hear first-hand, from our clients, how services funded by the Department of Health have supported their recovery and the need for timely access to appropriate specialist services to recover from the abuse they experienced.
“Clients also shared experiences of the justice system and it was great to hear we are all aligned on the need for change on so many issues such as good character references, early pleas, sentencing review and legal representation in court.
“Their voices and experiences are key to shaping improvements in policy, practice and legislation as the Ministers oversee delivery against their Strategy on domestic and sexual abuse.”
In September 2024, the Department of Health and Department of Justice launched their joint Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy.
Speaking after listening to the personal accounts of the service users, Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “I am cognisant of the trauma that victims of sexual and domestic abuse experience, so I am grateful to the service users who spoke to us today.
“Undoubtedly, it was not an easy thing to do but it is testament to their courage, as well as the work being done by Nexus, that they have been able to do so.
“The Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy we launched in September is an important piece of work, but we cannot be complacent if we are to realise its vision that Northern Ireland is a place where domestic and sexual abuse is not tolerated, and everyone can be safe and free from fear.
“That’s why hearing firsthand accounts from survivors is so important, as it will help us to ensure adequate support services are in place.”
Minister of Health, Mike Nesbitt, said: “To be here today and meet with survivors of sexual abuse is a crucial step in understanding their specific experiences. It is vital that we increase the opportunities for the voices of victims to be heard and to genuinely listen to their lived experience.
“In doing so we are able to learn from and incorporate their views into the work going forward to tackle sexual abuse. I want to personally thank all those who bravely shared their stories with us today, it will help provide us with the insights we need to better understand whether the services and support systems we provide are sufficient or whether they need to be tailored to better meet their needs.
“We are committed to creating a society where domestic and sexual abuse is not tolerated and where victims receive the support and care they need.”
You can see the Ministers’ joint press release about the visit here.
