22,341 domestic abuse cases last year

There were 22,341 reports of abuse against women and children made to Women’s Aid last year.

In relation to domestic abuse, 81% of cases happened with an intimate partner, specifically 42% of cases occurred in marriages.

Emotional, as opposed to physical, was the most common form of abuse, with 10,876 incidences of emotional abuse reported to Women’s Aid in 2015.

In terms of a breakdown of the 22,341 reports of abuse, 16,375 related to women and 5,966 related to children.

Women’s Aid, despite cuts of 20% in State funding last year, now runs a 24-hour, seven-day freephone service. Additional to the phone line, its website received 167,229 visits in 2015.

Of the abuse reported by women, 10,876 of those involved emotional abuse, 3,281 were physical abuse, 1,602 were financial abuse and 616 were disclosures of sexual abuse.

Domestic abuse is the catch-all term now used to cover various kinds of trauma, as opposed to confining it to just physical violence.

While it is widely acknowledged that it is not just women who experience abuse, only 3% of the calls fielded by the organisation last year were from male victims.

Yesterday, director of Women’s Aid Margaret Martin described some of the disclosures made by callers last year. “In 2015, women told us that they were kept prisoners in their own homes, cut with knives, stabbed, spat on, punched, slapped, kicked, held down and strangled and beaten with household items, with many women disclosing that they were beaten during pregnancy.

“Women told us that they were constantly verbally abused, belittled, criticised, blamed and stalked and harassed, including online, both during the relationship and after leaving. Women’s Aid hears from women who feel trapped, alone, isolated with limited options and whose journey to safety can be long and difficult,” she said.

She added that abuse is being perpetrated against women of all ages.

“You are never too young to be abused by an intimate partner and this is highlighted by the 17,000 visits to www.2in2u.ie during 2015. Dating abuse is a significant issue for our frontline support services. Research has shown that while young women can be at even higher risk of abuse in a relationship than their older counterparts, there is low recognition of controlling and coercive relationship behaviour among young women,” said Ms Martin.

The largest number (35%) of calls to the national helpline came from the greater Dublin area, 31% of calls came from outside Dublin and 34% of callers did not disclose a location.

National Freephone Helpline: 1800 341 900 www.womensaid.ie

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