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The LIFT project led by Dr Charles O’Mahony, School of Law, and member of the School’s Crime, Punishment and Rights Research Cluster explores disabled peoples experiences of ‘mate crime’ in Ireland.

A new research project, Living Independently & Free from Targeted Abuse (LIFT), is now underway at the University of Galway’s School of Law.   Funded by Research Ireland (formerly the Irish Research Council) under the New Foundations scheme and supported by the Policing and Community Safety Authority, the LIFT project seeks to understand and address the often hidden but deeply harmful problem known as mate crime.

Mate crime occurs when disabled people, particularly those with intellectual disabilities, are manipulated, exploited or abused by people who are friends or trusted persons in their lives.  Mate crime can take the form of financial abuse, physical assault, sexual violence, or emotional manipulation.

The LIFT project is led by Dr Charles O’Mahony, lecturer at the School of Law.  The project’s researcher, Fiona McNulty, is a highly experienced social worker with significant experience of frontline practice in the HSE and within intellectual disability services.

Together, they are working closely with key partners:

• Blue Teapot Theatre Company, a disability-led arts organisation that will produce an audio-visual community theatre piece informed by the research;
• Brothers of Charity, Ireland’s largest provider of intellectual disability services;

This research combines national focus groups with disabled people, interviews with stakeholders across policing, advocacy and policy, and a national survey to gather evidence on awareness and barriers in responding to mate crime.  The qualitative findings will feed into policy recommendations and practical tools for improving access to justice and community safety.

The project’s Advisory Group, which includes experts by experience, advocates, policing professionals, disability service providers, and researchers, met for the first time in April.   Members also include representatives from the National Advocacy Service, An Garda Síochána, Galway City Council, Blue Teapot, and the Brothers of Charity.  The group plays a vital role in guiding the project and ensuring ethical, inclusive and practical impact of the research findings and recommendations.

“We are committed to centring the voices of disabled people in this research”, said Dr O’Mahony.  “Through both rigorous research and creative storytelling, we aim to raise awareness, challenge abuse in the community, and support policy and law reform.”

The LIFT project will culminate in a research report documenting the lived experiences of disabled people affected by mate crime, as well as insights from key stakeholders across services, advocacy, and policing.  The report will include evidence-based recommendations to inform legislative and policy reform.  An original audio-visual theatre piece will be developed by Blue Teapot Theatre Company as part of the LIFT project, drawing on key themes emerging from the qualitative research.

For more information about the LIFT project, contact:

Dr Charles O’Mahony – charles.omahony@universityofgalway.ie