Debate contribution: Nexus: 40th Anniversary

Debate contribution by Ms Paula Bradshaw on 9 December 2024.

MLA

Ms Paula Bradshaw

Party at the time

Alliance Party

Date

9 December 2024

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Nexus: 40th Anniversary

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4698824

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I thank everyone — all the members of the Women's Caucus steering group and other Members in the Chamber — for their contribution today, in particular the chair of the steering group, Claire Sugden. I know that the issue is and has been very close to her heart, including when she was the Justice Minister. The Women's Caucus is a united group of elected representatives. I welcome Diana Armstrong who recently joined us. What we are trying to do is work collectively to take forward our positions. In this case, it is about tackling all forms of sexual abuse and abusive relationships and ensuring that that remains an Executive priority. Like others, I congratulate Nexus on its 40th anniversary and commend it in the strongest possible terms. The work of those who built the charity, and of those who volunteered and helped with fundraising efforts over the years, is truly remarkable. They cannot be thanked and congratulated enough for their work and what they have achieved over 40 years. As others said, Nexus started in my South Belfast constituency, but, as Sinéad, Diana and others said, its reach is also very much felt and appreciated in rural communities and less urbanised areas. As Joanne Bunting said, Nexus is a trusted and discreet form of support. It is a significant contributor to the community and voluntary sector in my constituency and across the Province. The motion is very simple. It states that we, in the Chamber, reaffirm our commitment to breaking the cycle, and tackling all forms, of sexual abuse and abusive relationships and that we commend Nexus for its work. I will pick up on some other points. My colleague Connie Egan said that it is not just the Members of this legislature but other outlets, including the media, that have a significant role to play. In reporting on sexual abuse crimes, they need to stop victim-blaming and perpetuating falsehoods, and they need to join the rest of us in dispelling the myths around such crimes. We all welcome the Executive's ending violence against women and girls strategic framework. It is robust, well-consulted-upon work. However, Sinéad questioned why the funding allocation seems to be less than is needed at this point. My party colleague Connie Egan has raised that time and again. If we are to really tackle the issue a generation on from the agreement, we need to put the resources where they are needed. One reason why we probably have not done enough to prevent sexual abuse and the development of abusive relationships is that we have left it to the volunteers at Nexus, for example, to step in and provide support to those impacted on by abuse after it has happened. We may have lower crime rates in Northern Ireland generally, but we have very high rates of violence against women. While many Members gave some of the really harrowing, horrendous statistics, it is worth remembering that behind each statistic is an individual. As Diana Armstrong and Diane Forsythe said, we must do more. Gerry Carroll mentioned that we need more information on actions around the use of technology. We need a wee bit more information on the specifics around how the strategic framework will be rolled out and how it will impact on the ground. Getting back to Nexus, it must be noted that it is not just about supporting women; it is about supporting anyone who is impacted on by sexual abuse or abusive relationships. Again, that is not limited to adults but includes children. It is very clear that Nexus has a lot of work to do if it is to continue to have the positive impact that it has had. We need to ensure that it has security of funding, and many in the Chamber, including Cara Hunter, pointed out that the number of constituents who contacted us when Nexus's funding was under threat was very significant, and it caused great concern to many. We are all grateful that the decision was reversed at the end, but it must have been very time-consuming for the staff and board of Nexus to have gone through that. I am particularly interested in and concerned about historical institutional abuse. We know from the testimonies of people who came forward to the historical institutional abuse inquiry about the sexual nature of the abuse that they experienced in the homes. The Committee for the Executive Office has also worked with the truth recovery panel on the mother-and-baby institutions. Again, many of the women who were housed in those institutions were there as a result of sexual assault and rape, many times in the home and by supposed trusted adults. We are now moving on to historical clerical sexual abuse, and I urge the Executive Office to move on that as quickly as possible. We must reflect that when Nexus was formed 40 years ago, a lot of those abuses were happening in real time. Members have welcomed the domestic and sexual abuse strategy, which is a joint strategy of the Justice and Health Departments. Members also welcomed the legislative interventions that have come forward in recent years, but we need to do more on prevention as opposed to the justice and accountability that comes at the far end. In that regard, I place on record my thanks to and support for the PSNI, Women's Aid, the Rowan sexual assault referral centre, the NSPCC, Barnardo's, the Men's Advisory Project, Victim Support NI and those who man the various helplines that support those organisations. They all deserve consistent funding in order to be able to deliver the services and support that our constituents deserve. Nexus puts the victim first, and, as we have heard today from Members, it provides support to parents who are so distressed when they hear that their loved ones have been the victim of sexual abuse. We should commend not just Nexus but all those who work to support those who are impacted on by that abuse. I call on the Assembly to reaffirm its commitment to, and support for, actions to tackle all forms of sexual abuse and abusive relationships and to commend all those who work to support people who are impacted on by it.

1,046 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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