Pandemic contributes to 87% increase in domestic violence cases, says DPP

Domestic violence cases reaching the Director of Public Prosecutions increased by 87 percent this year compared to the same period last year.

While 464 files on domestic violence or failure to comply with a court order reached the DPP in 2019, the office has already received 684 files this year.

Claire Loftus, director of the Public Ministry, revealed the worrying figures today at the Annual Conference of National Prosecutors.

He said that it is now the DPP’s policy to prosecute all domestic violence cases brought by Gardaí in the Dublin District Court.

Domestic violence was one of the areas that both the Gardaí and the courts have prioritized during the pandemic, despite restrictions on movement and court matters, Loftus said.

“As has been widely covered in the media, the Garda Síochána and domestic violence support services have reported an increase in the number of domestic violence incidents during the pandemic,” Ms Loftus said.

“I can confirm that the increase in cases has also been evident in the DPP office.

“In 2019 we received a total of 464 files in which domestic violence or failure to comply with a court order was involved. This year the office has received 684 files. This represents an 87 percent increase over the same period last year. “

He said the DPP has “been actively working” with the Gardaí for years to effectively prosecute domestic violence cases.

“This has included the provision of extensive training to Gardaí senior officials who prosecute these cases in district courts across the country. Protocols have also been developed for sending files and presenting cases.

“It is our policy that DPP staff prosecute all domestic violence cases brought to us by An Garda Síochána in the Dublin District Court and we will continue this policy in this sensitive area.

Ms. Loftus said the DPP has also received 447 files for possible prosecution in relation to the new public health regulations.

The DPP has ordered 262 of these cases involving 401 suspects to be prosecuted.

The number of files submitted to the office for a decision on prosecution increased by approximately 22% from last year

“A new area of ​​work has emerged directly as a result of the pandemic,” said Ms. Loftus.

“The Minister of Health has promulgated in the period since March a series of statutory instruments that regulate various activities, in the interest of public health.

“Since the beginning of the pandemic, the DPP office has communicated with Gardaí and advised him on the application of these regulations and all prosecutions have been led by the DPP office.

“Regulations and applicable crimes continue to evolve and I want to thank the staff for the excellent work they have done in addressing this new area.”

He also noted an “extraordinary increase” in the number of files sent for prosecution so far this year.

“What has been remarkable in the months since the pandemic began is that the number of files that are presented to the office for prosecution decisions has increased by approximately 22 percent from last year,” he said. Loftus.

“Although our workload has increased year over year, this is an extraordinary increase and it remains to be seen if it will continue in 2021.”