Fifty-year high of 40,000 domestic abuse cases against women and children in 2023

James Cox

Women's Aid is reporting the highest number of domestic abuse cases in its 50-year history, with over 40,000 disclosures in 2023.

The Women’s Aid Annual Report for 2023 shows a shocking 40,048 disclosures of abuse against women and children. That is an 18 per cent increase on the previous year.

Disclosures of abuse to Women's Aid last year included emotional abuse, physical violence, sexual abuse, and economic control.

Many of these combine to constitute coercive control, which is now a criminal offence in Ireland.

There was an alarming increase in both physical violence (up 74 per cent) and economic abuse (up 87 per cent).

The organisation is also launching a report into 11 publicly reported cases of coercive control convictions through the courts - revealing the devastating scale and harm of the offence, and raising questions about current maximum sentencing provisions.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact Women’s Aid (24-hour freephone helpline at 1800-341 900, email helpline@womensaid.ie) or Men’s Aid Ireland (confidential helpline at 01-554 3811, email hello@mensaid.ie) for support and information. 

Safe Ireland also offers a number of local services and helplines at safeireland.ie/get-help/where-to-find-help/. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.