MORE than two and a half thousand reports were made this year in Limerick against violent abusers who have attacked, beaten, and often seriously injured their partners.
Limerick this year recorded its highest number of domestic abuse incidents in almost a decade, new figures show.
The stark number, released by An Garda Síochána, is the highest in a decade, showing that Limerick had 2,584 cases of domestic abuse in 2023.
That was the highest figure recorded in Limerick in the last 10 years, and breaks down to around seven domestic abuse calls to Gardaí in the county every day in 2023.
The Garda figures have also shown that domestic abuse cases in Limerick have been rising year-on-year, with the exception of 2016.
However, Denise Dunne, director of Limerick-based Adapt, a voluntary organisation to support victims of domestic abuse, said that while the figures are shocking, they don’t necessarily mean that incidents of domestic violence are rising in strict terms.
Ms Dunne said that since the figures recorded in 2014, released by Gardaí this week, more mechanisms for people who have experienced domestic abuse have come on stream, meaning that more people are now eligible for orders against alleged abusers and more people are beginning to feel comfortable enough to come forward.
“There’s now greater support for victims of domestic violence from Gardaí,” Ms Dunne told the Limerick Post.
“And since 2014, Gardaí, particularly in Limerick, have become more proactive in dealing with reports of domestic violence.”
In Limerick in 2014, there were 989 reported incidents of domestic abuse, rising to 1,027 in 2015, 1,026 in 2016, 1,243 in 2017, while in 2018 there were 1,287 incidents recorded.
2019 saw 1,528 domestic abuse incidents reported to the Gardaí, with 1,642 cases in 2020, 2,014 in 2021. In 2022, there were 2,484 domestic abuse calls recorded in Limerick.
In just the first three months of 2024, Gardaí in Limerick logged 544 domestic abuse calls.
The stark figures were provided by An Garda Síochána to Aontú party leader Peadar Tóibín on foot of a parliamentary question.
Limerick Aontú councillor Sarah Beasley expressed her own concern about the Garda figures provided to her party.
“2,584 cases last year in Limerick is absolutely shocking,” she said.
“Domestic violence is a heinous crime and it damages the entire family who live in fear and it can often have lifelong repercussions.”
46,593 domestic abuse reports nationwide in 2023
Nationally, in 2023, Dublin saw the highest number of domestic violence incidents reported, with 15,579 reports across all Dublin Garda divisions – out of a total of 46,593 nationwide.
This represents an average of 42 calls a day relating to domestic abuse across each of the Dublin Garda divisions throughout 2023.
In Cork, there were 4,053 in all Garda divisions, while Louth/Cavan/Monaghan saw 3,077 reports in the same period.
Only Sligo/Leitrim reported less than 1,000 domestic abuse incidents in 2023, with 719 reports received.
Cllr Beasley hit out at Justice Minister Helen McEntee claiming that a “collapse” in Garda numbers is failing to protect children from witnessing domestic abuse incidents.
“There is a lack of resources to provide interventions to stop children witnessing domestic abuse, so they are not conditioned to repeat physical or psychological violence in their own lives,” Cllr Beasley declared.
Adapt’s Denise Dunne highlighted the launch of a Limerick branch of the Garda Divisional Protective Services Unit in 2019 – focusing on providing support to victims – as a key tool in stamping on domestic abuse locally.
Ms Dunne said that though demand for Adapt’s services remains very high, she couldn’t say if this was because of higher incidents of domestic abuse.
“We’re flat out here at Adapt,” she said, adding that she was unsure if that was due to more women experiencing domestic abuse or more awareness of Adapt and the services they offer.
Speaking to the Limerick Post earlier this year, Ms Dunne said that the past two years had been “enormously” busy.
“Last year we had 167 women admitted to the refuge and we supported 638 in our outreach services. Those numbers alone reflect what the situation is in Limerick.”
Anyone who has experienced issues of domestic abuse can contact Adapt House on 1800 200 504.
