Call for stronger sentences for attacks on emergency service staff in Northern Ireland

With thousands of assaults on emergency workers recorded every year in Northern Ireland and the figures increasing, former health service nurse Bernadette Vassallo has started an online campaign for tougher sentences.

More than a thousand people have signed a petition calling for the extension of Harper's Law to Northern Ireland, and to also increase sentences for those convicted of assaults on emergency services staff, as well as a change to legislation in terms of what is classed as a deadly weapon.

The law, named after Constable Andrew Harper who was killed in the line of duty in 2019 in England, introduced mandatory life sentences for anyone convicted of killing an emergency worker.

It went on the statute book for England and Wales last June, and means anyone convicted of the killing of a police officer, firefighter, nurse, doctor, prison officer or paramedic would be jailed for life with a mandatory minimum term of 40 years.

It has been backed by the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, a representative body for rank and file officers, who have said real deterrents are needed to curb the rising numbers of assaults on emergency workers.

According to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, police are the most often assaulted emergency service, with 1,541 incidents recorded in 2021 which rose to 3,159 in 2022.

Last month, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said the number of assaults resulting in injury to officers had hit a five-year high, from 516 recorded between April 2018 and March 2019, to 923 from April 2022 to February 2023.

The next most-targeted group are Ambulance Service workers, with 508 targeted in 2021, which went up to 648 in 2022.

Meanwhile, attacks on 66 Prison Service workers and four Fire Service personnel were recorded in 2022.

Assaults can range from verbal abuse and threats to being spat at, head-butted, kicked, punched, bitten and broken limbs.

Last week police officers in Londonderry were attacked by youths with masonry during a search operation.

There were also thousands of attacks on health service staff between January 1 2021 to October 31 2022.

Most happened in Belfast, the largest health trust, where 6,308 were recorded, followed by 2,466 in the Western Trust, 1,094 in the South Eastern Trist and 359 in the Northern Trust.

The petition calling for the extension of Harper's Law to Northern Ireland can be found at www.change.org