To ask the Minister of Justice to detail (i) how many breaches of Non-Molestation Orders have been recorded in each of the last five years; and (ii) how many of these breaches resulted in a prosecution.

The recording of information on the number of breaches of Non-Molestation Orders recorded by them is a matter for the Chief Constable, who is accountable to the Northern Ireland Policing Board. I am committed to respecting the operational independence of the Chief Constable and the role of the Northern Ireland Policing Board. You may, therefore, wish to direct part (i) of your question to the PSNI.

In relation to the information requested in part (ii) of the question, information for prosecutions and convictions at courts for breaches of Non-Molestation Order offences that were dealt with in the period 2020 to 2024, the most recent five years for which information is available, has been provided in the following table.

Prosecutions and Convictions at courts for ‘Breach of Non-Molestation Order’ offences, 2020 to 2024

Note:

1. Figures relate to initial disposal at court only. Results of appeals are not included.

2. Figures relate to defendants who were prosecuted or convicted at court for at least one count of the offence ‘Breach of a Non-Molestation Order’.

3. Figures for 2024 are provisional.

4. Figures provided relate to the time period in which cases were dealt with. The offences themselves may have occurred outside of the five years reported.