Domestic violence reports falls by 40%

THE number of domestic violence incidents reported to the gardaí has fallen by almost 40% in two years, according to new figures.

But a leading support group for victims of such abuse last night said the figures did not reflect the reality of the situation.

“The problem is not abating in any way,” said Teresa O’Donnell of Women’s Aid. “It would be out of sync (with the reality) if the garda figures were dropping.”

There were 10,248 incidents of domestic violence reported to the gardaí in 2002.

However, provisional figures released this week show there were just 6,229 incidents reported in 2004.

That represents a decrease of 39.2% in just two years.

The number of persons charged with domestic abuse also fell, from 1,370 in 2002 to 1,104 last year - a reduction of 19%. And there was a 17% decrease in the numbers of people convicted, from 651 in 2002 to 538 in 2004.

The figures were released by Justice Minister Michael McDowell in response to a parliamentary question from Fine Gael TD Paul Kehoe.

The 2004 figures were provisional, Mr McDowell stressed, and “liable to change”. However, Women’s Aid said it would be “very concerned” if the figures were dropping, as this would suggest domestic violence was decreasing when the opposite was the case.

While the number of incidents reported to the gardaí fell steadily between 2002 and 2004, calls to the Women’s Aid helpline increased by 26% in 2003, the latest year for which figures are available.

From February 21 to March 13 this year, the Department of Justice ran a public awareness campaign on domestic violence.

In that three-week period, the Women’s Aid helpline received 2,560 calls, compared to 1,519 in the same period the previous year, an increase of 69%.

The National Crime Council, in association with the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), is currently carrying out a national study on domestic abuse.