Police received an average of 92 calls a day regarding domestic abuse incidents over the Christmas period in Northern Ireland.
From December 20, 2024, to January 2, 2025, the force received 1,288 domestic abuse calls, a decrease of 48 on the previous year when 1,336 were reported.
January 1, 2025, saw the highest number of reported domestic abuse incidents with 127 calls being made to police. This is followed by December 27, when there were 109 and December 26, with 102.
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The day with the highest number of calls during the 2023/24 period was December 26, when 133 calls were made to police. On average, police received 92 domestic abuse calls per day in the 2024/25 Christmas period. This was lower than the average for the previous five years combined where there was an average of 98 calls per day.
Commenting on statistics, Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime Geraldine Hanna said: “It is truly tragic that there was, on average, 92 domestic abuse calls a day to the police over the Christmas period. Victims of domestic abuse often talk about how the festive period is a time of particular danger for them and this is sadly reflected in this data.
“Over the last number of years we have increasingly heard the message from government and the criminal justice system that domestic abuse is unacceptable and victims should come forward. The challenge now for them is to make sure their actions match those messages. Victims need properly resourced support and a criminal justice system that deals with their cases efficiently and in a trauma-informed way.
“I am pleased to see the police publishing this data. Capturing data like this is a key step in understanding and combating domestic abuse. Publishing it helps to inform the public and provide transparency. Next year I would welcome the publication of some more specific demographic data including the break-down of the age of victims.”
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