Domestic abuse: Rise in calls to PSNI over Christmas

There was a total of 1,958 reports made to police between 14 December 2021 to 1 January 2022

The number of domestic abuse calls made to police over the Christmas period in NI has risen, latest figures show.

Domestic abuse incident figures from 14 December 2021 to 1 January 2022 were released by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) on Wednesday.

There was a total of 1,959 calls made to police, which is a 12% increase compared to the same period last year.

"For many people, Christmas isn't always the most wonderful time of the year," Ch Insp Lindsay Fisher said.

"During the festive period, we often see reports of domestic abuse increase and unfortunately this year was no exception to this."

Over 100 incidents of domestic abuse were reported to police on Christmas Day, 145 on Boxing Day and 170 reports were made on New Year's Day.

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The number of incidents reported on Christmas Day was down 15% compared to the previous year (118), but the number of incidents reported on Boxing Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day all rose.

On New Year's Day, 170 incidents of domestic abuse were reported to police, compared to the 142 reported the previous year.

There were 100 incidents of domestic abuse reported on New Year's Eve, compared to 75 for the same period the year before (an increase of 25%).

There was a 9% increase in the number of incidents reported on Boxing Day (145), compared to the 132 reported on the same day in 2020.

Ch Insp Lindsay Fisher highlighted that domestic abuse "is not just physical" and can come in a variety of forms.

"If your partner or loved one is being threatening, controlling, violent or abusive towards you, this is a crime," she said.

"You don't need to stay silent. The Police Service of Northern Ireland is here to help you. Not just at Christmas, but all year round. 24 hours a day."