This morning.
Women’s Aid, the national domestic violence organisation, released its Annual Impact Report for 2020 detailing the 29,717 contacts made with Women’s Aid frontline services.
During these contacts, 24,893 disclosures of domestic abuse against women including coercive control were made. Support workers also heard 5,948 disclosures of abuse against children (30,841 disclosures in total).
Sarah Benson, CEO of Women’s Aid, says:
“These statistics are shocking. The 43% increase in the numbers of women reaching out to Women’s Aid for support during the most difficult of years, is staggering. However, these figures are only the tip of the iceberg of the numbers of people who are suffering at the hands of those closest to them and who need protection and support.
“One in four women in Ireland are targeted during their lifetime by current or former partners, a shocking one in five will have been abused by the time they are just 25 years old – many for the first time as teenagers in their earliest intimate relationships.”
A live webinar on the report is currently taking place can be viewed here until 1pm.
