To ask the Minister of Justice to detail any assessment her Department has made of the impact of increased reporting of domestic and sexual violence, on the criminal justice system capacity.

Between 20 December 2025 and 2 January 2026, the PSNI received 1,407 domestic abuse calls, an increase on the 1,290 calls recorded during the same period in 2024–25. This represents an increase of approximately 9.1%.

The figures show that demand for police support was consistently high across the two-week period, with call volumes exceeding those recorded across most days in the equivalent periods in 2023–24 and 2024–25. New Year’s Day recorded the highest number of calls, at 116, followed closely by Christmas Day with 115 calls, and 27 December with 114 calls.

These figures underline that the heightened risk associated with domestic abuse does not end on Christmas Day but continues throughout the holiday period and into the New Year.

In relation to the impact of increased reporting on criminal justice system capacity, my Department keeps demand and pressures across the system under ongoing review, working closely with the PSNI, the PPS, NICTs and NIPS. Increased reporting is, on the one hand, a sign that more victims are coming forward to seek help and protection, which is vitally important. However, it also inevitably places additional pressure on police, prosecutors, courts, prisons and support services.

Through the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy, which my Department is delivering jointly with the Department of Health, we are taking a whole-system approach focused on prevention, early intervention, supporting victims and holding perpetrators to account. This includes work to improve pathways through the justice system, strengthen victim support, and ensure that services are better equipped to respond to both rising demand and complexity.

It is also important to note that reported crime figures do not necessarily provide a direct measure of prevalence, as changes may reflect greater confidence in reporting as well as changes in underlying offending. My Department will continue to work with justice partners to monitor trends, assess pressures on capacity, and ensure that the limited resources available are targeted where they are most needed.

Any level of domestic and sexual abuse is unacceptable, and these figures reinforce the importance of sustained, year-round action across government and the justice system to protect victims and prevent abuse.