Courts hit by deluge of cases over domestic abuse
The volume of domestic violence cases coming before Galway’s courts has increased dramatically since the Coronavirus pandemic commenced.
And so too have hearings over breaches of safety orders put in place by the courts, as the lockdown has resulted in very little movement outside troubled homes.
Last week alone, there were 50 family law applications alone before Tuam District Court – significantly higher than normal, according to members of the local legal profession.
Next week’s sitting of Loughrea District Court currently has 75 family law applications listed from 39 individual cases – meaning it is currently over-subscribed, because this is in addition to a number of civil cases already listed.
That led Loughrea court office staff to ask solicitors not to make any further applications for the time being.
The Courts Service has confirmed to the Connacht Tribune that the figures for domestic violence applications for Galway as a whole have increased significantly over the past three months.
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