Domestic abuse soars at Christmas

THE level of domestic violence experienced by Irish women often soars amid the pressures of the festive season.

Women’s Aid, which fields an average of 70 calls a day from women seeking advice over domestic abuse, expects hundreds of calls from distraught people during the festive period.

Margaret Martin, director of Women’s Aid, said: “There are more opportunities because people are thrown together more, then added to that is that there is a lot of alcohol.