Justice Minister Naomi Long has affirmed that a suite of legislative and strategic reforms is vital in tackling domestic abuse and gender-based violence while offering increased support to victims.

The Minister's statement coincides with the PSNI marking the third anniversary of their action plan to tackle violence against women and girls.

The Minister said she has been "tireless in my commitment to tackling domestic abuse and sexual violence." She highlighted the closing of long-standing legal gaps through the criminalisation of offences including stalking, upskirting/downblousing, non-fatal strangulation, and spiking. She is also consulting on proposals to make the creation and sharing of sexually explicit deepfake images of adults a criminal offence.

Minister Long confirmed that the new laws are already proving effective: "During the period 2023 to 2024 there were 206 prosecutions for stalking offences and 344 for non-fatal strangulation. This clearly demonstrates the new laws are working and are affording protections as never before."

The Minister noted that this legislative action is part of a sweeping package of reforms aimed at strengthening victim protections and transforming the justice system's response to gender-based harm.

Victim Support and Court Success In addition to the legislative protections, the Department of Justice supports key services for victims. The Sexual Offences Legal Advisors Scheme (SOLA) provides survivors with free, independent legal support to help them navigate the criminal justice system up until the trial begins. To date, the scheme has provided support to more than 2,000 victims and has been expanded to include child victims.

The Department also supports the delivery of Domestic Abuse Contest Courts (DACC), which utilises the Belfast Remote Evidence Centre (REC). The DACC lists multiple domestic abuse contests on the same day, with all complainants providing evidence remotely from the Belfast REC. To date, there have been 11 DACC days, with 51 cases listed.

The conviction rate for DACC cases stands at an impressive 90%. The Minister noted that well over half of these convictions are secured by guilty plea, meaning the witness is not required to give oral evidence.

"Feedback from victims, the judiciary and criminal justice partners has been overwhelmingly positive and indeed many victims have indicated they would not have continued with their cases had it not been for the DACC and the ability to give evidence from a REC," the Minister said.

Minister Long concluded by stressing that legislation alone is not enough, calling for cultural change: "Society can no longer turn a blind eye or accept such actions as part of 'normal' life. We must challenge old-school attitudes that enable such abuse and instead empower our communities to intervene. If we can bring about cultural and behavioural change, coupled with the legal protections, we can help create a safer society for all."

The Department continues to collaborate with The Executive Office, which leads the Programme for Government priority action to End Violence Against Women and Girls.