770 women and children seek help on just one day

Nearly 800 women and children sought help from domestic violence services on one day last year according to figures released …

Nearly 800 women and children sought help from domestic violence services on one day last year according to figures released today.

Safe Ireland, the national network representing frontline domestic violence services, publishes its annual “one-day census” to coincide with International Woman’s Day.

The count was conducted on Friday, November 4th, last year and found 429 women and 341 (770) children received support. This compared with 555 women and 324 children – 879 – on the same date in 2010, 368 women and 291 children (659) in 2009 and 263 women and 216 children (479) in 2008.

Almost 500 (499) women and children were living in refuges or supported housing meaning that they could not stay in their own homes safely, according to Sharon O’Halloran, director of Safe Ireland.

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland

Kitty Holland is Social Affairs Correspondent of The Irish Times