8th international EFJCA Conference | 30 November & 1 December 2026 | Portlaoise (Ireland)

Day 2 - 1 December

Femicide, Risk Assessment and Risk Management, and Forced Suicides

09.00-9.30
Registration

09.30–09.40
Welcome and introduction
Bert Groen, Marna Carroll and Pascale Franck

09.40–10.20
The Family Justice Response to Allegations of Domestic Abuse: The Findings of a Six Country Empirical Study in Europe
Shazia Choudry, Professor of Law at the University of Oxford

10.20–11.00
Are DARDRs a feminist endeavour or a tool of the State?
Connecting multi-agency practice, fieldwork and policy
Davina James-Hanman, Violence against Women Consultant

11.00–11.15
Q&A with the keynote speakers

11.15–11.45
Coffee break

Panel — Research, justice and practice
Moderator: Frances Fitzgerald

• 11.45–12.00 | Hidden violence: an exploration of domestic violence in women who died by suicide - Floor Van Daelen, Forensic Psychologist - PhD candidate Leiden University
• 12.00-12.15 | Non fatal strangulation: new research - Jack Menke, MD forensic specialist – MPH – medical director/CMO
• 12.15-12.30 | Can she trust the State? Femicide, justice and the responsibility to protect - Jolande Ter Avest, Family Lawyer
• 12.30–12.45| Risk assessment and risk management in cases involving severe domestic violence and potential femicide - Joëlle Tetart, Coordinator of DIViCo for the judicial district of Liège
• 12.45–13.00| Moderated discussion and audience Q&A

13.00–14.15
Lunch break

Sexual Violence, Exploitation and Emerging Forms of Abuse

14.15–14.40
The Support Needs of Survivors of DSGBV: Developing Integrated, Best Practice Responses within the Criminal Justice System
Susan Leahy, Centre for Crime, Justice and Victim Studies, School of Law, University of Limerick

14.40–15.05
The role of pornography in fueling violence against women & girls: A focus on sexual strangulation
Ruth Breslin, Director SERP

15.05–15.30
Non-fatal strangulation in the context of domestic abuse – long term health consequences of domestic abuse
Catherine White, Professor Catherine White, Medical Director, Institute for Addressing Strangulation

15.30–16.00
Coffee break

16.00–16.25
Screening for domestic violence: new recommendations for screening in Ireland

16.25–16.45
Designed to Harm? Technology, AI and Gendered Violence
Maria Bjarnadottir, lead academic in the field of IT law Reykjavík University

16.45–17.00
Conference closing
Bert Groen, Marna Carroll and Pascale Franck