Victims of domestic violence are facing heightened risk during the Covid-19 crisis and some could be killed by violent partners, domestic abuse agencies have warnedSome women seeking to flee abusive and violent relationships since the pandemic began are now, in fact, being forced to spend more time with their abusers, said Sharon O’Halloran, chief executive of Safe Ireland. “And in many cases when women would have fled somewhere with their children it would be to their parents house, often elderly parents. However, a number of gardaí have told The Irish Times that they had been told to prioritise domestic violence arrests and to take abusers away from victims when required. Several members of the force said it was too early to determine the impact of the coronavirus on domestic violence, adding that it may be a number of weeks before patterns became clear. However, the evidence to date about the impact of Covid-19 on domestic abuse is anecdotal, said one, adding that it would also take time to determine the trends.

Source: The Irish Times March 30, 2020 13:42 UTC