A slap on the wrist or justice?
Time and time again we see "they get away with a slap on the wrist" in response to court findings.
It's a frustration shared by many and is perhaps most keenly felt in response to 'lenient punishments' for violent crimes.
This sense of disappointment was perhaps best demonstrated when we spoke to a domestic abuse victim who said she had been "entirely let down" by the judicial system when her abuser was ordered to pay just £1000 in fines after being convicted of criminal damage, common assault and persistent improper use of a communications device.
There's no denying that the crime doesn't always fit the punishment and vice versa.
However, it can often be difficult to get a clear and fair picture of the whole when reviewing a report at a time.
Following the introduction of the Domestic Abuse and Civil Proceedings Act in 2021, a new statistical bulletin has been produced by NISRA to present data on numbers of cases with domestic abuse related offences that were dealt with at courts and by out of court disposals.
Published this week, it also includes some information on the length of time taken to complete these cases.
Within this bulletin is an infographic which concisely displays some of the key findings of the report.
While it is perhaps disconcerting that the median time (in days) taken for cases to complete has risen from 211 in 2022/23 to 302 in 2023/24 it is reassuring to see that the conviction rate for these offences has increased from 51.7% in 2022/23 to 55.5% for 2023/24.
However, what is arguably the most pertinent part of the report - at least for victims - can be seen in the court disposals section.
It may be surprising to learn that the most common court determination for cases concerning domestic abuse in 2023/24 was not monetary penalties as many may expect - but for custodial sentence - coming in at a total of 30.6%.
This was closely followed by suspended sentence at 25.9% and community sentence at 19.8%.
Monetary Penalty came fourth in the list at 16.8% with the remainder of cases classified as 'Discharged/Other' at 6.9%.
This comes just days before PSNI released statistics showing a surge in domestic abuse calls over the festive period.
The figures published on Thursday January 9, cite an average of 92 calls - a day - recorded between December 20 and January 2 compared to the 80 daily calls recorded last Christmas and New Year.
The highest number of reports came in on New Year's Day at a total of 127 calls.
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New Year: New You
Start 2025 with a smile from Armagh Orthodontic Clinic
All treatments at the clinic are offered by qualified orthodontists and as providers of the Invisalign system in Northern Ireland, they can offer you “invisible orthodontics” to correct a range of orthodontic problems.
‘Imagine 2025’ and start your family fitness journey with Maxx Life Gym
“In January 2025, we will be introducing our new member challenge ‘Imagine 2025’ where we want members to picture how their health and fitness will look by the end of 2025.
“Then we will help them create the foundations for getting them there.”
Armagh Jobs
🆕 Johnston’s Bakery require Production Operatives.
🆕 GCS Solicitors require a full-time Solicitor.
🆕 The Caledonian Keady seek a Chef to join their busy kitchen team.
🆕 Redrock Machinery require Welders.
🆕 A Telescopic Forklift Driver is required for a busy Armagh construction site.
🆕 Sunnymead Residential Living require Head Cook / Catering Manager.
🆕 Linwoods Armagh require General Operative.
✅ Armagh I are recruiting for a Journalist.
✅ T H Jenkinson & Co require Yard Person and Trailer/Agri Mechanic.
✅ CPS Property require a Property Manager to join their successful, busy team.
✅ Armagh City Hotel require Health and Fitness Receptionist.
✅ Allens of Caledon Coffee Shop require Barista/All Rounder and Cook/Baker.
✅ Emersons Supermarkets require Butcher and Retail Supervisor.
✅ Redrock Machinery require Cutting Shop Operative and Store Assistants.
✅ Mount Charles have a number of full time roles across Armagh and beyond.
🆕 The Caledonian Keady seek a Chef to join their busy kitchen team.
🆕 T H Jenkinson & Co require Yard Person.
🆕 Armagh City Hotel require Food Service Staff, Health & Fitness Receptionist and Fitness Instructor.
✅ Maxxpresso Drive-Thru require Barista.
✅ Mount Charles require Cleaning Operatives and Catering Assistants.
🛎️ If you have a job and want to advertise it to 40,000 daily users on www.armaghjobs.com and www.armaghi.com, as well as more than 9,000 people on this newsletter and our 100,000 social media followers, get in touch.
