Serious domestic assaults rise by 24% during pandemic

Wed, 03 Mar, 2021 - 06:30

Cormac O’Keeffe, Security Correspondent

Serious domestic assaults have jumped by almost a quarter over the last 12 months, according to provisional Garda figures.

The statistics indicate there has been a substantial reduction in the number of assaults outdoors, which Garda HQ puts down to Covid-19 measures, specifically the closure of pubs and clubs and restrictions on movements.

However, this trend has been mirrored by an increase in assaults, particularly serious assaults, indoors in the home.

The Commissioner’s February report to the Policing Authority shows:

A 15% reduction in crimes against the person in the 12 months to January 2021, compared with the previous year;
Public assaults are down, including a 38% reduction in assault causing harm and a 34% fall in minor assaults;
Assaults in private homes have increased, with a 24% increase in serious assaults and a 5% rise in minor assaults.

“There has been an overall reduction during Covid-19 which is likely to be linked to decreased public mobility and closure of licensed establishments," said the report.

"The most common offences in this category are minor assault and assault causing harm."

It said that most assaults occur typically in public locations.

“Public minor assault decreased by 33.9% and public assault causing harm decreased by 37.9% in the 12 months to January 2021 as compared to 12 months prior.

Conversely, assault in residential locations has increased with minor assault increasing by 4.8% and assault causing harm increasing by 23.7%.

A spokeswoman for Safe Ireland said: "The increasing trend for assault in residential settings tallies with the increase in the numbers of domestic violence cases over the past year that has been tracked by Safe Ireland (in our Shadow Pandemic reports) and also in periodic reports from An Garda Síochána throughout the pandemic, and since the start of Operation Faoiseamh in particular.”

She said the Garda prioritisation of domestic violence had been “critically important” and that it was crucial that it remained a priority.

“This third lockdown has been very difficult and domestic violence services remain extremely concerned about the numbers and the complexity of cases they are seeing,” she said.

She said they had been tracking statistics in their own Shadow Pandemic reports.

“Anecdotally, DV services have reported that, throughout this year, they have been dealing with increasingly complex and often serious cases of violence and trauma.

“Anecdotally, there would appear to be more and more serious cases of DV getting to court and being reported — often resulting in conviction and a significant sentence.”

She said it would be hugely beneficial if women had ready access to free legal advice as victims of crime.