Domestic violence - A sinister corner of our society

Domestic violence is a scourge that afflicts the lives of many people in this country, especially women and children.

In order to develop a better understanding of the problem, the Irish Examiner today begins a two-part series examining domestic violence.

Young, liberated women tend to dismiss the chances that they would become involved in an abusive relationship. They say that they would never let a man hit them without calling the gardaí immediately, or that they would walk out on their abuser so fast that he would not even have time to apologise.