Courts see domestic violence orders rise
“I represented many victims of domestic violence in my past career as a barrister and most were afraid and sometimes didn’t turn up in court.”
Those were the words of Ireland South MEP, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, as she spoke yesterday, Wednesday, about the need for a more victim centred approach amid new figures revealing there was a 15% rise in the number of applications for domestic violence orders in Cork.
2,338 Cork people applied to the district courts in 2023 for a domestic violence order. That figure is up 15% on the 2022 figure where 2,025 people applied in Cork for a domestic violence order. The district courts in question are Bandon, Bantry, Clonakilty, Cork city, Fermoy, Macroom, Mallow, Midleton, Skibbereen and Youghal.
These figures were released to Cynthia Ní Mhurchú MEP, a former family law barrister, and also showed how only 53% of applications for domestic violence protection orders were granted in 2023 and 54% of applications for a domestic violence order in Cork were granted in 2022.
From January to September 2024, 1,796 domestic violence orders were applied for at district court level in Cork of which 960 were granted.
Her figures indicate that Cork city had the highest number of applications for a domestic violence order at 1,420 applications in 2023 followed by Mallow (271), Midleton (187), Fermoy (104), Clonakilty (91), Bandon (81), Macroom (80), Youghal (44), with both Skibbereen and Bantry on 30 applications for a domestic violence order in 2023.
There were increases in the number of domestic violence orders applied for between 2022 and 2023 in Cork city, Bandon, Bantry, Clonakilty, Macroom, Mallow and Midleton.
Youghal, Skibbereen and Fermoy recorded decreases in the number of domestic violence orders applied for between 2022 and 2023.
Clonakilty district court recorded a large increase in the number of domestic violence orders applied for between 2022 and 2023 going from 48 to 91 applications, an increase of almost 90%.
The MEP described these figures as concerning and questioned why some Irish towns have recorded enormous increases in the number of victims seeking protection from our district courts.
She said: “So many victims, mostly women, are enduring unthinkable nightmares in their own homes. We need a more victim centred approach. I represented many victims of domestic violence in my past career as a barrister and most were afraid and sometimes didn’t turn up in court.
“I often had to hold consultations with women on my knees in the foyer of the courthouse – often times with the alleged abuser on the other side of the room. We need to reform our courts to make them more victim centre.”
Ní Mhurchú has now called on the incoming Justice Minister, Jim O’Callaghan, to prioritise investment in the area of domestic violence. She wants more district court judges to deal specifically with family law cases and to consider allowing victims of domestic violence to apply for initial protection orders online.
She says more consultation rooms for victims in our district courts are needed and she also said there needs to be continued and ongoing training for district and circuit court judges in areas such as domestic violence, coercive control and violence against women.
Ní Mhurchú has said she will be requesting a meeting with the incoming Justice Minister, Jim O’Callaghan, to discuss what further actions can be rolled out to ensure victims of domestic violence are prioritised in the courts service