The number of reports of domestic violence this year to date is up 4 per cent when compared to the same period in 2022, according to official garda figures.
Between January and April 24th, there were more than 16,500 reports of domestic violence made to gardaí, up from the 15,950 in 2022, which the force attributes to a “sea change” in how this form of violence is viewed by society.
The number of reports of domestic and gender-based violence to gardaí has been increasing year-on-year, with 54,000 reports made in all of last year, up 21 per cent since 2020, when figures began to be collated in this way.
Furthermore, throughout all of 2022, there were 500 reports of coercive control, an offence created by the Domestic Violence Act 2018, which came into effect from the start of 2019.
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At the end of that year, 58 cases of coercive control were up before the courts.
Speaking outside Frederick Street Garda station on Friday morning, Detective Chief Superintendent Colm Noonan, of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, said domestic violence is something that “needs to move away from behind closed doors”.
“We can support people, we can give them their options. We’re here to listen in the first instance, but ultimately we will investigate and prosecute perpetrators of domestic abuse,” he said.
“I really want to encourage victims not to suffer in silence, to talk to us. If you’re not ready to make a prosecution, if you’re not ready to make a statement, you can still talk to us.”
The chief superintendent said year-on-year “we’re seeing an increase in reporting of domestic abuse to us in An Garda Síochána”.
“That really is, in our view, symptomatic of the position of trust that is getting better and better between us and society and An Garda Síochána,” he added.
The gardaí were speaking on “Go Purple Day”, which seeks to raise awareness about domestic abuse and the local domestic abuse support services available to those affected in Ireland.
Cristina Santamaria, head of services at Aoibhneas, a charity which provides domestic abuse support for women and children, said domestic abuse is a “societal problem”.
“We have seen the increase of that through Covid and we have seen the back end of that now. It has increased,” she said.
“I think [awareness] is crucial. In incidences where women are looking for support and assistance when there is a crisis, they can come through Aoibhneas for support accommodation or crisis intervention.”
