TECHNOLOGY is being used by abusers for cyber stalking, coercive control, sextortion and image-based sexual assault, the CEO of West Cork Beacon has revealed.

MaryClare Clark revealed there has been a dramatic rise in demand for the Bantry-based service which provides safe, confidential and free support for women experiencing domestic abuse.

She revealed there had been a 52% increase in demand for its services over a 12-month period​, reflecting the growing need for specialist support for survivors of abuse and violence across the region.

A six-year review of the service shows that the dramatic rise in technology is being used by perpetrators to track victims, to stalk them, or to control them financially, as well as perpetrating deep-fakes, cyber stalking, sextortion, and image-based sexual assault.

West Cork Beacon delivered 7,943 client interactions in 2025, up 2,729 compared to 5,214 in 2024. Ms Clark said: ‘This represents the highest level of activity recorded by the organisation over the six-year period reviewed.’

A total of 292 individual clients accessed support during 2025, up from 249 in 2024, an increase of 43 clients.  The number of new clients rose from 158 to 189, while repeat clients increased from 91 to 103, highlighting both continued outreach to new service users and ongoing support needs among existing clients.

Court accompaniment and advocacy services also experienced significant growth. In 2025, West Cork Beacon supported 84 court-related cases, compared with 57 cases in 2024, an increase of 27 cases.

Ms Clark confirmed to The Southern Star that West Cork Beacon has one safe house, but is looking to purchase more safe houses where a family fleeing abuse can live temporarily.

She pointed out that West Cork Beacon has access to funding for such purchases through Community Foundation Ireland (CFI) and the housing agency Cuan.

In addition, West Cork Beacon is actively working to establish a refuge in West Cork, but the CEO admits it could take three to five years before it is operational​, and their support services go from office hours, and a helpline, to being operational 24/7.

The CEO explained that West Cork Beacon, which has an annual budget of €800,000, is no longer called West Cork Women Against Violence because it has expanded its range of services​.

Initially, she said it offered domestic violence support services, but today it has psychotherapists that serve male and female survivors of sexual violence through therapeutic services at its offices in Bantry’s town centre.

As for the proposed refuge, MaryClare said: ‘Skibbereen is our most likely location. ‘At this point we have a green space that the Council is looking at for us.’

She explained that the site is owned by Cork County Council​, and if it passes through all of the county’s checks and balances​, Cuan, the housing agency, will proceed to the feasibility and design stage.

At that stage, she said, they will work with an approved housing body to secure the funding through the Capital Assistance Scheme, otherwise known as CAS.

The figures show that the total hours dedicated to court support rose from 248.5 hours to 268.5 hours, demonstrating the intensive nature of advocacy work required by clients navigating the criminal justice system.

Ms Clark said: ‘This demonstrate a sustained and significant increase in demand for West Cork Beacon’s services, particularly in direct client support, court accompaniment, and ongoing engagement with survivors.’