Provisional figures show more than 2,000 domestic abuse incidents were reported in police in Northern Ireland between 17 November and 19 December, a 40% increase on the year-ago period. Arrests increased by around a tenth to about 500.
Chief superintendent Davy Beck of the Police Service of Northern Ireland attributed the rise to growing confidence among victims to come forward and tell authorities about the abuse they have suffered.
He described the trend as encouraging, and urged victims to seek help and report incidents. “We do not want people to suffer in silence,” he was quoted as saying by the Press Association.
On the increase in arrests, he commented: “I think that demonstrates our commitment, as outlined in our violence against women and girls’ strategy, to relentlessly pursue perpetrators of domestic crime.”
