Surge in call to local domestic abuse helpline

THE West Cork Beacon phone service received almost 1,000 new calls in 2022, compared to 2021.

The Beacon figures were released in the same week as gardaí revealed that domestic abuse reports in the Cork West Garda Division increased by 7% in 2023, compared with 2022.

Reports of domestic abuse also increased across the two other garda divisions – with Cork North reporting a 16% increase, while Cork city reported a 11% increase, the recent meeting of the Cork County Joint Policing Committee (JPC) heard.

Speaking to The Southern Star, Marie Mulholland, chief executive of West Cork Beacon (formerly West Cork Women Against Violence Project), believes the increases may be due to the fall-off in the stigma of reporting domestic abuse incidents.

‘We had a major jump in phone calls and contacts in 2022, which were up nearly 1,000 to 2,702 and the calls we are getting are more complex, too,’ she said. ‘Some clients can ring several times as they may be experiencing difficulties in several areas, while dealing with domestic abuse.’

There’s more complexity in the cases involved now, she added.

‘As housing and homelessness gets worse, we are dealing with this too. It’s a multi-dimensional issue now and the environment it takes place in will have a big impact on what we are able to do to support people at risk.’

Ms Mulholland said that, thankfully, Ireland is starting to make a ‘dent’ in the stigma attached to domestic violence and more people are now reaching out. ‘A lot of that has been helped by the domestic abuse advertising campaigns, especially during Covid when things got really bad,’ she noted.

‘The promotion of local support services is also helping, as is the response from gardaí, which has improved greatly in recent years. Their follow-up to incidents is very good and that is also helping taking the sting out of the stigma.’

Ms Mulholland pointed out that domestic abuse isn’t just about physical violence because it can entail coercive control or emotional abuse.

‘We are getting more people ringing in relation to this and that is down to the impact of these ad campaigns and good information getting out there.’

At last week’s JPC meeting, Supt Michael Corbett said domestic abuse is across all echelons and classes of society, regardless of where people come from.

‘An Garda Siochána has made huge inroads into dealing with domestic violence and the victims and we have a very comprehensive structures and policies in place to deal with domestic violence,’ said Supt Corbett.

‘We would encourage anybody who is a victim of domestic abuse or has issues within the family to come forward where help is available. Unless they tell the gardaí, we can’t act on it.’

Supt Corbett outlined that there is a very comprehensive policy in place in relation to dealing with domestic violence and An Garda Síochána also has a policy in place where people are charged and brought before the courts.

Garda stats also showed that reports of rape in the Cork West Division were up from 14 in 2022 to 18 in 2023, while sexual assaults were down – from 35 to 30.