Debate contribution: Protecting Victims of Coercive Control
Debate contribution by Mrs Naomi Long on .
- MLA
- Mrs Naomi Long
- Party at the time
- Alliance Party
- Date
- 5 May 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Private Members' Business
- Heading
- Protecting Victims of Coercive Control
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5525280
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I thank the Member for giving way and for raising that issue. I am sure that he is aware of the report by Dr Aisling Swaine that looked at the intersection between paramilitary coercive control in our communities and domestic violence and abuse and at the significant overlap that exists, with community surveillance and pressure being applied to victims and witnesses not to come forward to make complaints. I am sure that he agrees that that is completely unacceptable.
79 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.09 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.58).
- Subject area: Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.07 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.05 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.05 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.04 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.54 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.09 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.58 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.02 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.37 |
| Adopts it | 0.03 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Legacy of the Troubles, victims and paramilitarism | 0.79 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.15 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.03 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.02 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.01 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:38 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
Disagree with this assessment?
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