An Garda Síochána - Supporting Victims of Crime – National Ploughing Championships 2026
Personnel from the Garda National Protective Services Bureau will be present over the course of the 3 days at the National Ploughing Championships 2026 in the Garda stand. These personnel aim is to speak to members of the public to raise awareness in relation to the prevalence of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence in rural Ireland and how to access supports and services available to victims of crime from An Garda Síochána.
If you wish to access more information or avail of the services highlighted by this initiative at the National Ploughing Championships the following details will assist you in doing so,
Children Staying Safe Online
The internet is a great place to learn, play, create and stay connected. Most online experiences are positive, but sometimes people or content online can make you feel uncomfortable, frightened or pressured. Keeping children safe online isn't about knowing every app, game or social-media platform they use. It is about creating an environment where your child feels comfortable talking to you when something goes wrong.
A simple rule to follow to keep children safe online is, STOP • THINK • TALK
- STOP if something makes you uncomfortable.
- THINK about what is happening and don’t feel pressured to respond.
- TALK to someone you trust.
For more information to help children to stay safe online, to assist parents in being involved in their children’s online safety and to know the warning signs and where to get help when needed click here.
Supporting a Victims Journey
When you are a victim of crime, throughout your journey within the criminal justice system you are intitled to information, support and protection. Within Ireland there are a number of state organisations who are required to provide these services to victim. An Garda Síochána is a victim-centred police service, focussed on keeping people safe, protecting the most vulnerable and providing a consistently high standard of service. We will be responsive to the needs of victims, local communities and take into account the evolving nature of crime as we police. If you have been a victim of a crime and want to make a report, if you wish to seek support or if you wish to access more information you can do so by clicking here.
Domestic Abuse
Supporting and protecting domestic abuse victims is a priority for An Garda Síochána. Domestic abuse includes all acts of physical, sexual, psychological or economic abuse that occur within the family or domestic unit or between former or current spouse or partners, whether or not the perpetrator shares or has shared the same residence as the victim. In many cases people suffering from domestic abuse are unaware of the support services available to them. If you wish to access more information or seek support in relation to experiencing some of these behaviours, the Garda Domestic Abuse leaflet is available in 27 languages and details of dedicated support services for your situation can be found by clicking here.
Human Trafficking – It Happens Here
The Blue Blindfold campaign is a public awareness campaign designed to educate people about human trafficking. It has been developed to encourage the public in identifying the signs of a human trafficking situation and report any suspicious activities which they believe relate to a human trafficking crime. Everyday people are often "blind" to the reality that human trafficking and modern slavery happen in plain sight within local communities.
For a situation to constitute human trafficking in Ireland it must involve:
- Recruitment, transportation, transfer, harbouring or receipt of a person
- By means of threat or use of force or other forms of coercion, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of power or a position of vulnerability or the giving or receiving of payments
- For the purpose of exploitation including sexual exploitation, labour exploitation, forced begging, forced criminality, organ removal or other types of exploitation.
For more information, if you wish to seek support or if you want details of how you can report any concerns you may have it can be found by clicking here.
