Women's Aid have revealed over 20,000 women and children used their services last year.
They released their annual Impact Report for 2016 this morning, and details 19,115 contacts with Direct Services including the 24hr National Freephone Helpline and Dublin Based One to One Support Services.
During these contacts, 16,946 disclosures of domestic violence against women were noted.
There were an additional 3,823 disclosures of child abuse made.
With the 24 Hour Helpline service introduced last year, the group has revealed an extra 4,910 calls were responded to as a result.
Margaret Martin, Director of Women’s Aid, outlines some of the emotional, physical, sexual and financial abuse disclosed last year:
"In 2016, women told our confidential services that they had been isolated from family and friends, called derogatory names, had their lives and their safety threatened.
"Women disclosed that they were hit, beaten with weapons, stabbed and cut with knives and strangled. For some women they were beaten and strangled while they were pregnant.
"We heard from women that their partners had raped them, coerced them into sex, had prevented access to family planning and some had explicit videos and images made and shared online without their consent.
"Many women said that because of financial abuse they were being forced to choose between staying in an abusive relationship and facing poverty.
"Financial abuse disclosed in 2016 included partners running up debt in women’s names, women being denied access to the family finances and women’s salaries or social welfare being controlled."
Remember. Before you get involved, ask yourself if it’s safe and legal to intervene. If the situation is already violent or looks like its escalating quickly, don’t directly intervene. Call the Gardaí on 999.
The only effective bystander intervention is a non-violent one. If you see or suspect domestic abuse in Dublin visit www.whatwouldyoudo.ie or call 999.
