Domestic Violence
Domestic violence crimes reach another record high in Northern Ireland
14th October 2019
By Lenore Rice The number of domestic abuse crimes in Northern Ireland reached their highest 12 month total since records began. There were 16,575 domestic violence crimes recorded between July 2018 and... Read more
Domestic violence-related homicides in UK at 5 year high
13th September 2019
By Lenore Rice There were 173 deaths as a result of domestic violence in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK last year, a significant jump up from the 141... Read more
Number of Domestic Abuse Cases in Northern Ireland at Record High
4th July 2019
By Lenore Rice New statistics published by the Police Service of Northern Ireland reveal that the number of domestic abuse incidents in Northern Ireland are now at a record high. The statistics,... Read more
Criticism of delays on new domestic abuse legislation in Northern Ireland
19th June 2019
By Lenore Rice In 2017/18 the number of domestic abuse incidents recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland amounted to one every 17 minutes, a record high. These statistics illustrate... Read more
Survivors of domestic abuse at risk of serious mental health problems
7th June 2019
By Lenore Rice New research, undertaken and published by Birmingham University, indicates that women who experience domestic abuse are three times more likely to develop a mental health problem. A new study... Read more
Falconer regrets vilifying legal aid solicitors to curb expenditure
3rd June 2019
By Lenore Rice Lord Falconer, the Lord Chancellor from 2003 to 2007, has admitted his regret over the campaign to curtail the legal aid budget which led to widespread condemnation of... Read more
Cuts to legal aid risking quality of decisions in domestic abuse cases
16th May 2019
By Lenore Rice The former head of family courts in England and Wales, Sir James Munby, has said that cuts to legal aid had led to more people representing themselves, and... Read more
Police to inspect mobile phones of victims of crime in England and Wales
29th April 2019
Police in England and Wales can now ask for victims of crime to give them permission to inspect emails, messages, photographs and other information on their mobile phones. The victims of... Read more
PSNI officer says legislation needed to tackle domestic abuse
3rd April 2019
By Lenore Rice Supt Clive Beatty, a senior PSNI officer, has said that legislation to tackle psychological and emotional abuse, such as that introduced in England and Wales, is needed to... Read more
Domestic abuse levels at record high in Northern Ireland
2nd April 2019
By Lenore Rice The number of incidents of domestic abuse reported to the PSNI in 2018 was the highest since records began 15 years ago, and experts say there is still... Read more
Domestic Violence and Abuse Disclosure Scheme explained
10th April 2018
By Lenore Rice The PSNI responded to 29,676 incidents of domestic abuse in Northern Ireland in 2017, the highest amount in 13 years. Of those incidents 12,803 contained one or more... Read more
NI judge calls for longer jail terms for domestic violence cases
22nd February 2018
By Lenore Rice A Northern Ireland judge has highlighted the need for longer jail sentences for domestic violence in a case in which he gave a man an 8 month jail... Read more
PSNI launch summer domestic abuse campaign
11th July 2017
By Lenore Rice PSNI are urging victims of domestic abuse in Northern Ireland to make a report to the police, as they prepare for another summer period of increased incidents of... Read more
Man who beat wife with cricket bat misled the court
10th April 2017
By Lenore Rice A man who beat his wife with a cricket bat and forced her to drink bleach has now been sentenced to 18 months in prison, after originally receiving... Read more
Criticism of judge's comments on vulnerability in domestic abuse case
28th March 2017
By Lenore Rice A judge has commented that a woman who was made to swallow bleach and pills and beaten with a cricket bat by her husband was not vulnerable, because... Read more
Male victims of domestic abuse fear counter-accusations and arrest
19th January 2016
By Lenore Rice A new study suggests that male victims of domestic abuse are not making reports to the police because their vpartners have threatened to counter-accuse them of violence. Senior lecturer... Read more
Reports of increase in domestic abuse incidents in NI over Christmas
30th December 2015
By Lenore Rice There are concerns that domestic abuse in Northern Ireland increased significantly over Christmas after one policing area dealt with 20 incidents of domestic-related violence over a 4 day... Read more
PSNI dealt with domestic violence call every 20mins in Christmas 2014
22nd December 2015
By Lenore Rice Police were contacted in respect of an incident of domestic violence in Northern Ireland every 20 minutes during Christmas day last year. In Northern Ireland and the rest of... Read more
Research reveals extent of domestic abuse problem in Northern Ireland
8th September 2015
By Lenore Rice New research has revealed that there have been 67 deaths in Northern Ireland as a result of domestic abuse in the last 10 years, representing a quarter of... Read more
Landmark NI court warning on domestic violence statement withdrawals
28th July 2015
By Lenore Rice A Northern Ireland judge has issued a stark warning to domestic violence "bullies", saying that the withdrawal of a statement from a victim will no longer automatically mean... Read more
Legal aid cuts could result in unsafe child contact arrangements
8th June 2015
By Lenore Rice A new study looking at contact applications lodged by parents after a divorce or separation raises concerns that legal aid cuts have removed the option of going to... Read more
One in three victims of domestic abuse can't get legal aid
12th March 2015
By Lenore Rice The Justice Select Committee say that legal aid changes in England and Wales are preventing a third of domestic abuse victims getting access to a solicitor because they... Read more
Report shows domestic violence victims could be helped quicker
25th February 2015
By Lenore Rice A new report suggests that victims of domestic abuse on average suffer at the hands of their aggressor for 2.7 years before they receive effective help. The research from... Read more
Fifty Shades of Grey criticised for 'glamorising' domestic violence
10th February 2015
By Lenore Rice The book trilogy 'Fifty Shades of Grey' was an unlikely mainstream success with readers across the world, and the movie adaptation being released on Valentine's days is expected... Read more
Call for domestic violence inquiry after two women murdered
6th February 2015
By Lenore Rice Stacy Banner is calling for a public inquiry into the state's response to domestic violence after her sister and murder were killed by a man who she had... Read more
Divorce Day - it has nothing to do with Christmas
5th January 2015
By Lenore Rice For several years now, the first Monday of the new year has become known as 'divorce day' in legal circles, as most family law solicitors see a spike... Read more
110 domestic abuse incidents in Northern Ireland every day
8th December 2014
By Lenore Rice Over the past year there has been an average of 110 domestic abuse incidents and crimes reported to the police in Northern Ireland each day, but with a... Read more
Lack of support for children who witness domestic violence
20th October 2014
By Lenore Rice It is estimated that 25 per cent of children in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK will witness domestic violence before they reach the age of... Read more
New NSPCC office in Belfast to tackle under-reporting
14th October 2014
By Lenore Rice The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is opening a call centre in Belfast, which it hopes will help deal with a problem with... Read more
Report on Parry murder raises domestic abuse questions
29th September 2014
By Lenore Rice The response by police to domestic abuse calls by Caroline Parry, who was murdered by her estranged husband, has been criticised in a new report into her death. Caroline... Read more
70 domestic abuse calls to PSNI every day
19th September 2014
By Lenore Rice Police in Northern Ireland are receiving 70 calls relating to domestic abuse incidents every day, and while that number in itself is cause for concern, a senior judge... Read more
One domestic abuse incident every 19 mins in NI
16th May 2014
By Lenore Rice Domestic abuse levels in Northern Ireland are increasing according to new statistics which reveal that there were 27,000 domestic abuse incidents reported to the police in 2013. The figures... Read more
Report criticises police approach to domestic abuse
31st March 2014
By Lenore Rice A new report by the HM Inspectorate of Constabulary has criticised the response of police forces to claims by domestic abuse victims. The report looked at 43 police forces... Read more
Survey reveals extent of domestic violence in Europe
6th March 2014
By Lenore Rice A survey of 42,000 women in Europe has revealed that one in three women have experienced physical or sexual violence since the age of 15, and Northern Ireland... Read more
Domestic violence victims at risk of losing children says charity
20th January 2014
By Lenore Rice The Family Rights Group has carried out new research that suggests and increase in the number of domestic violence victims at risk of losing their children as a... Read more
Clare's Law to be rolled out across England and Wales
25th November 2013
By Lenore Rice A scheme which allows people to check if their partners have any history of domestic violence is to be rolled out across all of England and Wales, after... Read more
Northern Ireland woman jailed for false rape claim
25th November 2013
By Gary Adair A Northern Ireland woman has received a three month jail sentence for making a false claim of rape against her ex-boyfriend after he split up with her via... Read more
PSNI criticised for handling of domestic violence
29th October 2013
By Lenore Rice The Police Service of Northern Ireland has come under criticism for failing to implement improvements on how they deal with domestic violence three years after they were agreed... Read more
PSNI handling 60 domestic violence call outs a day
15th October 2013
By Lenore Rice The Belfast Telegraph has revealed that the police in Northern Ireland are having to respond to 60 call-outs a day in connection with domestic violence. There were 27,000 cases... Read more
MP found guilty of multiple domestic abuse charges
22nd August 2013
By Lenore Rice Scottish MP Bill Walker has been found guilty of 23 charges of assault in respect of incidents of domestic abuse involving 3 former wives and a step-daughter. The charges... Read more
Domestic abusers to be denied firearms licences
31st July 2013
The Police in England and Wales have been advised that a person's suitability to hold a firearms licence needs to be reviewed after an incident of domestic violence. The new guidance... Read more
Lawson-Saatchi divorce granted in under a minute
31st July 2013
Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi were granted a divorce today at the London High Count in under a minute. The couple were married in 2003 but their 10 year marriage ended... Read more
Lawson-Sattchi quick divorce scheduled for tomorrow
30th July 2013
The divorce of celebrity couple Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi is due to take place at 10.30am tomorrow morning, with proceedings expected to be very quick. The couple are said to... Read more
No financial claims in Lawson-Saatchi divorce
17th July 2013
Celebrity couple Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi will not be making any financial claims on each other during their divorce according to a statement released by the pair. The statement confirmed... Read more
'Domestic violence was just a playful tiff'
17th June 2013
Pictures of art collector Charles Saatchi grasping the neck of his wife, TV chef Nigella Lawson, outside a restaurant caused outrage among campaigners against domestic violence, and they reacted even... Read more
Facebook fall-out over domestic violence images
28th May 2013
Facebook has come under fire for refusing to remove images that activists say glorify rape and domestic violence. Facebook did take action in respect of some of the images brought to... Read more
False allegations of domestic violence are rare
15th March 2013
A new report by the Crown Prosecution Service is hoped to dispel some of the myths around how many false allegations of rape and domestic violence are made each year. The... Read more
Figures show increase in domestic violence
12th March 2013
New figures released by the Citizens Advice Bureaux indicate an 11 per cent increase in the number of people advising that they have suffered domestic violence. In the last three months... Read more
Domestic abuse of parents by children increasing
1st March 2013
Until recent years, domestic abuse was considered a problem that involved a wife being mistreated by her husband. Over the past years there has been an increase in the recorded... Read more
2 million victims of domestic abuse in 12 months
11th February 2013
There were 2 million cases of domestic abuse over the last 12 months according to a new report entitled 'Focus on Violent Crime and Sexual Offences 2011/12', and published by... Read more
PSNI campaign targets domestic abuse
20th December 2012
Along with many positive traditions over the holiday period, there is unfortunately a growing annual trend of an increase in incidents of domestic violence in Northern Ireland and the rest... Read more
264 domestic violence arrests in 1 week
3rd December 2012
An operation carried out by the Metropolitan Police has resulted in 264 arrests on charges of domestic violence in just one week. The operation began on 26th November in support of... Read more
Accused walks free because of incorrect trial time
1st November 2012
A man accused of an act of domestic violence which left his then-partner heavily bruised has walked free from court without any hearing because the CPS told the victim the... Read more
Case update - celebrity guilty of harassment
10th October 2012
Celebrity comic Justin Lee Collins has been found guilty of harassing his ex-girlfriend Anna Larke, and has been sentenced to carry out 140 hours of unpaid work within the next... Read more
Celebrity comic accused of harassment
27th September 2012
An harassment case involving celebrity comic Justin Lee Collins deals with issues covered under the new expanded definition of what constitutes domestic abuse, though that definition will not be employed... Read more
Definition of 'domestic abuse' to be expanded
18th September 2012
The definition of 'domestic abuse' is to be extended to include threatening or "coercive" behaviour with effect from March 2013, meaning new classes of behaviour will be categorised as domestic... Read more
Domestic abuse pilot scheme extended
11th September 2012
A new domestic abuse scheme already being piloted in Wiltshire and Gwent since mid-July is being extended to Greater Manchester and Nottinghamshire.Under the scheme people can find out if their... Read more
Belfast man jailed for domestic violence
27th July 2012
Belfast resident Jalal Uddin has been given a prison sentence for domestic violence against his former partner despite her pleas to the court for leniency Mr Uddin is said to have... Read more
Increase in domestic abuse convictions
23rd July 2012
New figures from The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reveal an increase in the number of prosecutions and convictions in England and Wales for crimes involving violence against girls and women. In... Read more
Increase in Domestic violence cases at Christmas
21st December 2011
The PSNI have re-launched their domestic abuse campaign which aims to encourage victims of domestic violence in Northern Ireland to report incidents to the police. The police advise that domestic abuse... Read more
Police handling of domestic abuse case criticised
18th October 2011
The murder of 21 year old mother Casey Brittle by a former partner has highlighted a serious issue about how police handle domestic abuse cases. Ms Brittle had called Nottinghamshire Police... Read more
Domestic violence suspects face ban from home
25th November 2010
A year-long pilot scheme is to start next summer in the Greater Manchester, Wiltshire and West Mercia police areas, that will give the police new powers to ban people suspected... Read more
2 in 5 domestic violence victims are male
6th September 2010
Campaign group Parity have carried out analysis of statistics on domestic violence that has revealed that more than 40% of victims are male; significantly different than the general perception of... Read more
Increase in domestic violence linked to England World Cup exit
2nd July 2010
Before the 2010 World Cup in South Africa began police were already preparing for an increase in cases of domestic violence; the link between large sporting events and violence in... Read more
Home Office campaign set to focus on teenage abuse
18th February 2010
The Home Office is aiming to educate young people about some of the problems relating to abusive relationships through a new awareness campaign.Among the tools being used to highlight this... Read more
Solicitor assures no legal aid problem in Northern Ireland
3rd December 2009
Lenore Rice of Wilson Nesbitt solicitors in Belfast, Northern Ireland, confirmed that there "is no legal aid resources problem in Northern Ireland" like that being faced in England and Wales. Clients... Read more
Govt domestic violence strategy 'a positive development'
27th November 2009
A new government strategy, which seeks to address the problems of domestic and sexual violence, has been welcomed by one female organisation.Ministers recently announced that the initiative, which has entitled... Read more
Govt Bill outlines domestic violence proposals
23rd November 2009
New plans to address domestic violence issues in the UK have been unveiled by the government.The Crime and Security Bill outlines a number of measures which are designed to raise... Read more
Rural domestic violence victims 'must continue to receive support'
5th November 2009
Women living in rural areas of Northern Ireland must continue to be supported by the country's executive and other organisations if they suffer from domestic violence, it has been claimed.The... Read more
NI minister aiming to raise domestic violence awareness
29th September 2009
Awareness of domestic violence in Northern Ireland must continue to be raised, according to one political figure.Caitriona Ruane, the country's education minister, believes it is vital attitudes to violence committed... Read more
Wife accused of stabbing husband
13th March 2009
In news that may be of interest to solicitors in Belfast dealing with divorce and family law, a woman has been accused of calmly knifing her husband and handing him... Read more
Domestic violence victims get chance to speak out
17th October 2008
A public meeting is to be held to discuss domestic violence in Northern Ireland, it has been reported.The Coleraine District Policing Partnership (DPP) is to hold a meeting at the... Read more
Charity launches anti-domestic violence campaign
6th August 2008
Anti-domestic abuse charity Refuge has launched a campaign intended to warn people about the early warning signs of domestic abuse.Research from Refuge has shown 87 per cent of women were... Read more
Abusive-partner killers 'not murderers'
5th August 2008
People who are driven to killing their abusive partners are not the same as murderers, according to a domestic violence victim writing in the Belfast Telegraph.Nicola Henry told the newspaper... Read more
Divorce 'leads to happier lives'
4th August 2008
Increased divorce rates do not mean a weakening of the family unit, but actually prevent the "huge human misery" created by social taboos in the past, a commentator has said.... Read more
Mothers calling for more family justice centres
29th July 2008
The mothers of three women who were killed by violent ex-partners are calling for the establishment of more family justice centres around Britain and Northern Ireland.Tricia Bernal claimed that her... Read more
Legal changes ahead for domestic violence defence
23rd July 2008
The government has announced that the law governing women who kill their partners following periods of domestic violence is to change.Under legal changes, the defences for those women who are... Read more
War 'causing divorce and domestic abuse'
22nd July 2008
Long deployments in war zones are causing disputes between partners and provoking domestic violence in the US, it has been claimed.According to divorce lawyers in the country, the phenomenon, which... Read more
Domestic violence conference to be held
17th July 2008
Worldwide experts on domestic violence are to come to a conference at Europe's first Family Justice Centre in Croydon.The conference will take place on July 24th and 25th and will... Read more
Female domestic violence victims 'should not be jailed'
18th June 2008
Prisons are not designed for women, who have mainly committed non-violent crimes, and who have often suffered domestic violence or sexual abuse, a group of charities has claimed.The group of... Read more
MPs recommend education on domestic violence
13th June 2008
The all-party home affairs select committee has recommended that children in both primary and secondary school be taught about domestic violence and forced marriage.According to their report, the committee said... Read more
Officers 'to focus on domestic violence'
5th June 2008
Police officers in the Antrim area of Northern Ireland have revealed that one of their main priorities for the year will be cutting domestic violence, the Antrim Times reports.According to... Read more
UK 'divorce fair' for splitting couples
5th June 2008
Couples from all over the UK, including Northern Ireland, who plan to divorce are being invited to the country's first 'divorce fair'.Solicitors, counsellors and financial advisors will all be on... Read more
'Increased confidence' for Northern Ireland's domestic violence sufferers
27th May 2008
Domestic abuse sufferers in Northern Ireland are increasing in confidence and becoming more willing to come forward to the police, it has been claimed.Police domestic violence specialist Angela McBride told... Read more
Domestic violence in Northern Ireland 'endemic'
23rd May 2008
Northern Ireland faces an 'endemic' problem with domestic violence, it has been claimed.The Police Service of Northern Ireland has launched a campaign against the issue, after officers attended 6,400 cases... Read more
New anti-domestic violence campaign in Northern Ireland
7th May 2008
A councillor in Buncrana has launched a campaign in a bid to wipe out domestic violence in the area, according to the Derry Journal.Darren Lalor has launched a postcard campaign... Read more
Police in Antrim offering support to victims of domestic violence
29th April 2008
The police force in County Antrim is offering support to male and female victims of domestic violence, reports the Antrim Times.According to the paper, domestic violence officer for the Antrim... Read more
Domestic violence 'increased by smoking ban'
22nd April 2008
The smoking ban and cheap alcohol in supermarkets could be fuelling domestic violence, according to a British police chief.Chief Superintendent Peter White claims that the cheap price of alcohol in... Read more
Domestic violence laws 'have backfired'
15th April 2008
New laws governing punishments for domestic violence could have meant a reduction in the number of people reporting the crime, the Ministry of Justice has said.The new legislation has meant... Read more
Alcohol research hoped to fight domestic violence
8th April 2008
A new study examining the link between the abuse of alcohol and domestic violence is about to begin, reports the Northern Echo.Chief executive of the North-East Regional Alcohol Forum told... Read more
Domestic violence means 100 women and children in need of solicitors in NI
18th March 2008
Over 100 women and children need help from solicitors in Northern Ireland, according to Amnesty International.The group has published a report called No Recourse, No Safety which says the government... Read more
Domestic violence 'not being tackled'
4th March 2008
Solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland are seeing no let-up in cases of domestic violence in the province and now the government has been criticised for failing to protect females.While... Read more
Affairs account for half of NI divorces
3rd January 2008
Affairs are the cause of half of all divorces that solicitors in Northern Ireland deal with, a higher proportion than in the rest of the UK.While only 27 per cent... Read more
Domestic violence packs a bigger punch
31st December 2007
Solicitors in Belfast and Northern Ireland have to deal with more cases of domestic violence than ever - and the problem is becoming so large that increasing numbers of women... Read more
NI pilots panic rooms
27th December 2007
Solicitors in Northern Ireland may see many cases of domestic violence averted as the province is to trial the use of 'panic rooms'.As shown in the film of the same... Read more
Domestic violence campaign hits NI streets
25th July 2007
More victims of domestic violence in Northern Ireland may be persuaded to visit their solicitors ad make their case known as a new campaign has just been launched by the... Read more
Daily Mail libel battle begins
22nd May 2007
Journalist Rebecca Hardy appears to be in hot water as former TV executive Mike Hollingsworth's High Court libel case kicks off against the Daily Mail after Ms Hardy alleged that... Read more
NI women 'still waiting' for equality
3rd May 2007
Despite over 30 years of laws banning gender discrimination, solicitors in Northern Ireland will still encounter many cases where women have not been treated fairly, according to the University of... Read more
Government to stamp out domestic violence
19th April 2007
The government has announced the launch of a department targeted specifically at dealing with the issue of domestic violence. Tanaiste Michael McDowell said that the Irish Office for the Prevention... Read more
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