IN the same week as Maguiresbridge mother, Concepta Leonard, was brutally murdered by her former partner, it emerged that incidents of domestic abuse in the Fermanagh and Omagh area have risen by over 13 per cent in the last year.
According to the PSNI’s annual crime statistics, there were 1,691 incidents of domestic abuse recorded in the Fermanagh and Omagh area during 2016-17, a total of 198 more than during the previous 12-month period.
The 13.3 per cent rise in incidents was the second-highest increase recorded in policing districts across Northern Ireland, only behind Ards and North Down.
Domestic abuse is defined by the PSNI as “threatening, controlling, coercive behaviour, violence or abuse inflicted on anyone by a current or former partner or family member”.
The figures also revealed that the number of domestic abuse incidents where one or more crimes were recorded in Fermanagh and Omagh had increased to 766 in 2016-17, a rise of 81 on the previous year.
This 11.8 per cent increase was the highest recorded in the Northern Ireland’s policing districts, followed by Lisburn and Castlereagh City.
The PSNI crime statistics were published just two days after 51-year-old Ms. Leonard was stabbed to death in her home near Maguiresbridge by former partner, Peadar Phair.
Her son, Conor, who has Down’s Syndrome, sustained serious injuries in the incident, but survived.
Describing the police statistics as “worrying”, Kerri Flood, of Fermanagh Women’s Aid, said that there needed to be a whole shift in attitude towards how society viewed women and violence against women, but admitted that it wouldn’t be something that would happen overnight.
She said that, since the tragic events of last week, there had been a “huge influx” in numbers of people calling Women’s Aid and asking for support.
Speaking to the Impartial Reporter on Monday, Ms. Flood said that five women had already been in touch that morning looking for help. Normally, they would take around one or two calls per day, she said.
Looking at the overall trends in domestic abuse since the PSNI started to record the statistics in 2004-05, she said that year-on-year, apart from on two occasions, levels had been increasing.
She said: “These statistics come out every year and every year they show vast levels of domestic violence in Northern Ireland. They were first published in 2004-05. In that time, what has been done to change attitudes?”
While admitting that there had been some “really positive” steps, like the introduction of specialist domestic violence courts in Londonderry, Ms. Flood said the last 10 to 15 years had also been a “frustrating” time for Women’s Aid.
“We have outlined what would help victims and a lot of what we’ve proposed has been committed to on paper, but we need the resources behind that,” she said.
Encouraging more women to come forward and seek support, the Women’s Aid representative said that Ms. Leonard had went “beyond everything possible” to keep both herself and her son safe.
“She went to family and friends, to the police, she got a non-molestation order... she did everything and that’s why it’s so sad. She did everything she could do.”
In the days following the murder, it emerged that Ms. Leonard had taken out an ex parte non-molestation order against her former partner in the weeks before her death.
Non-molestation orders, which are civil orders granted under family law, are aimed at preventing the applicant’s partner or ex-partner from using or threatening violence against the applicant or their child, or intimidating, harassing or pestering the applicant, in order to ensure the health, safety and well-being of the applicant and their children.
Breaching a non-molestation order is now a criminal offence.
Ms. Flood revealed that, in the last week, they have been contacted by women who were due to get non-molestation orders, but are now reconsidering because they believe “they’re not worth the paper they’re written on”.
However, the Women’s Aid representative stressed that the court orders were one more thing to keep victims safe.
“The power of arrest is attached to the non-molestation order. If you don’t have one and he’s hanging about at the end of your lane, he may not be arrested.
“We just don’t want women to be put off. There are enough barriers to seeking help without doubting the measures that do exist.
“Yes, we think there could be more done to protect the victim, but we don’t think what does exist isn’t valuable.”
In the midst of all the horror, Ms. Flood said they have also heard some lovely stories from other women who had rebuilt their lives following domestic violence.
“These women have come through real trauma and can say “I’m all right now”. They have got out the other side and are OK,” she said.
Meanwhile, the PSNI’s Fermanagh and Omagh District Commander, Superintendent Jane Humphries, has said the police will continue to urge the victims of domestic violence to come forward.
Commenting on the rise in domestic violence incidents in Fermanagh and Omagh, she said: “This is an area we continue to focus on, I feel that the small rise does also reflect the growing confidence of victims coming forward to police.
“For police, one victim is one too many, and we support victims and work with partner agencies to address this issue.”