Domestic Abuse

A man has been convicted of coercive control and other offences following the first trial for offences under the Domestic Violence Act 2018. A jury found the 52-year-old man, who cannot be named, guilty of coercive control, intimidation, assault and 12 counts of assault causing harm.

The TV and radio adverts for the ‘Still Here’ domestic abuse campaign will recommence today. The Still Here TV and radio adverts, developed by the Department of Justice in collaboration with a number of frontline services, shows that, for many people, their home is not a safe place durin

Gardaí with special training in domestic and sexual violence are now available across the State following the completion of the rollout of Garda Divisional Protective Services Units (DPSUs). The launch of the Meath/Westmeath unit today fulfils a government commitment to complete the rollout o

Human rights campaigners have called on the Northern Ireland Executive to provide additional funding and support to victims of domestic violence, as new figures reveal over 32,000 domestic abuse incidents in the last 12 months. A new report published by the PSNI revealed that there were 32,127 domes

An Garda Síochána's response to domestic abuse during the COVID-19 crisis is "the best it has ever been in Ireland", a new report suggests. The Policing Authority yesterday published its half-year assessment of policing performance, which highlights in particular the success of Operati

A 30,000-strong petition that calls for domestic abuse laws to provide safety for migrant women will be delivered to the UK government today.

Free public transport will be available from today for people fleeing domestic abuse, ministers have announced. The measure was first floated in May by Justice Minister Naomi Long and Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon after a similar free rail travel scheme was unveiled in England and Wales.

Domestic homicide reviews (DHRs) will be introduced in Northern Ireland by the end of the year under plans published today. Justice Minister Naomi Long and Health Minister Robin Swann have jointly published their plan for year five of the seven-year domestic and sexual abuse strategy.

A proposed automatic bar on alleged domestic abusers cross-examining complainants should be extended from the criminal courts to include the family courts, the Bar Council of Northern Ireland has said. In a written submission to the call for written evidence on the Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedi

Men will not be able to advance the legal defence that their partner was accidentally killed in a "sex game gone wrong" under new domestic abuse legislation being considered by MPs. Campaign group We Can't Consent To This has identified at least 60 women from the UK who have been killed in recent ye

The Irish courts are “not fit for purpose” as far as dealing with violence against women is concerned, experts have said. The legal process frequently re-traumatises women, a UN special rapporteur and NGO leaders told viewers in a webinar hosted by Orla O’Connor of the National Wom

The number of domestic abuse crimes recorded by police in Northern Ireland have reached a 15-year high. There were 18,640 domestic abuse crimes recorded by the PSNI between 1 April 2019 and 31 March 2020, an increase of 15 per cent on the previous year and the highest figure recorded since the start

People fleeing domestic abuse will be able to access free public transport under plans being developed by the Departments of Justice and Infrastructure. Justice Minister Naomi Long and Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon agreed to work together to explore the idea after a meeting yesterday.

Strangulation is a substantial, separate and distinct aggravating feature to be taken into account in sentencing for domestic violence, appeal judges in Belfast have emphasised while dismissing an appeal against sentence. The Court of Appeal this morning upheld the 12-month prison sentence handed do

Legislation to create a new domestic abuse offence for Northern Ireland is being debated at the second stage in the Northern Ireland Assembly. Addressing a small number of MLAs in the chamber earlier this afternoon, Justice Minister Naomi Long said she was pleased to bring the bill forward, "even th