Women's Aid received record 32,144 contacts in 2024
Women's Aid national and frontline services were contacted over 32,000 times last year, recording an increase of 12 per cent on 2023.
The figure of 32,144 is the highest contact rate in the organisation's 50-year history.
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The national freephone helpline recording over 23,000, an increase of 17 per cent.
The escalation in all forms of abuse against women has been revealed with sexual abuse figures coming in at the highest up 30 per cent, physical abuse increased by 22 per cent with increased figures being recorded in both emotional and economic abuse.
Women reported assaults with weapons, constant surveillance and monitoring, relentless put downs and humiliations, the taking and sharing of intimate images online, complete control over all family finances, sexual assault, rape and being threatened with theirs or their children's lives.
The impacts on these women were "chilling" and ranged from exhaustion, isolation, and hopelessness to serious injury, suffering miscarriages, poverty, feeling a loss of identity and suicide ideation, hypervigilance, and homelessness.
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Sarah Benson, chief executive of Women's Aid, said: "The number and nature of the disclosures of abuse to our frontline services is utterly appalling. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Thirty five percent of women in Ireland (one in three) suffer physical, psychological or sexual abuse from an intimate partner. Additionally, there are so many children, families and whole communities also impacted. Fear, stigma, and the debilitating impact of the abuse itself – but also persisting social attitudes to domestic violence - prevent victims from coming forward."
Ms Benson added: " So many victim-survivors lack the information or confidence to contact specialist services, and about one third will suffer in total isolation, telling nobody what is happening to them. We still have so much work to do to break this silence to encourage those in need to get the support they deserve. What we hear in our national and regional services is replicated across Ireland in local domestic abuse refuges and organisations.'
As it launches its Annual Impact Report for 2024 today, Women's Aid noted that the operating environment remains challenging with specialist services still overstretched and underfunded, challenging capacity to meet an increasing demand for help.
This is "especially true for more marginalised and minoritised women".
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"The housing crisis, the lack of visibility of domestic abuse in national Housing Strategy and plans, and dearth of appropriate specialist accommodation provision for survivors of abuse limits options for a safe home in the medium and long term. The Family Law and Criminal law systems do not work efficiently for survivors of domestic violence and abuse. creating lengthy, protracted, and traumatising delays for women and unsafe outcomes," the report stated.
In addition, young women report very high levels of intimate partner and other forms of gender-based violence, which "sadly does not seem to be decreasing".
Women's Aid also criticised the "inconsistent response" of An Garda Síochána.
Ms Benson said: "'An Garda Síochána is also seeing record domestic violence and abuse contacts including over 65,000 contacts last year. There is excellent progress in some areas such as the National Protective Services Bureau, who partner with Women's Aid in delivery of a lifesaving High-Risk Support project.
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"However, we are also seeing the results of a knowledge gap increasing among new recruits, and members in local stations where members of the public most connect with police for assistance. Forty-four per cent of women told us that they found the gardaí response unhelpful when they sought support. It is imperative that specialist training on the dynamics of domestic abuse and awareness of new legislation such as stalking, is re-established as a core part of training for all members, not just those in specialist units."
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Women's Aid (
24-hour freephone helpline at 1800
-
341 900, email
helpline@womensaid.ie)
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