NEARLY 34,000 DISCLOSURES of domestic violence, including assaults with weapons and over 5,000 reports of child abuse, were made to Women’s Aid last year.

The support group recorded 18,294 disclosures of emotional abuse including stalking, isolation from family and friends, sleep deprivation, manipulation of children and threats to kill.

There were 3,984 disclosures of physical abuse including assaults with hammers, golf clubs, hurls and guns, strangulation, stabbing incidents and broken bones and teeth.

A total of 976 sexual abuse disclosures were made by women around Ireland including rape and sexual assault, coerced sexual activity, unwanted sexual advances and being forced to watch and re-enact pornography.

Women’s Aid annual report also notes significant numbers of economic (1,725) and digital (639) abuse disclosures.

The economic abuse suffered by women included being denied access to household income, being pressured into giving abusers large sums of money and abusers jeopardising women’s access to employment.

The digital disclosures included abusive messages, internet use being monitored, abusers secretly recording victims and blackmail.

The charity says that all systems responsible for protecting victims and survivors of domestic violence are under extreme pressure and that the government needs to act urgently to increase the safety of vulnerable women and children.

The report outlines how the second year of the Covid pandemic exacerbated already difficult situations for domestic violence victims.

Women who used Women’s Aid frontline services last year reported that they were experiencing deeper levels of distress, fear and isolation.

The helpline’s contacts with women were also longer, rising 8% for a total of 3,863 hours of talk time delivered during the year.

Women's Aid Women's Aid

Women’s Aid said the report provides an insight into the “staggering levels and brutal forms” of abuse experienced by thousands of women and children across Ireland.

The report notes that the current male partner was the perpetrator in 57% of incidents; a male ex-partner was responsible for 25% of incidents; in 11% of cases it was another male and in 7%  of instances it was a female abuser.

The charity is calling for more men to become allies in creating zero tolerance of all forms of male violence against women, including domestic abuse.

Sarah Benson of Women’s Aid called on the government to take “urgent action” for women and children for whom home is the most dangerous place.

“Women reported assaults with weapons; constant surveillance and monitoring; relentless put downs and humiliations; the taking and sharing of intimate images online, complete control over all family finances; sexual assault, rape, and being threatened with theirs or their children’s lives,” Benson said.

“The impacts on these women were chilling and ranged from exhaustion, isolation, and hopelessness; to being brutalised and wounded, suffering miscarriages, poverty, feeling a loss of identity and suicide ideation, hypervigilance; and homelessness.”