Bishop Denis Nulty, president of Accord Catholic Marriage Care Service CLG (Accord), has urged domestic abuse victims to seek help as the pandemic continues to affect relationships.
“I feel in the lockdown in this highly restrictive area that issues like domestic abuse come to the fore even stronger,” Bishop Nulty told The Irish Catholic. “All agencies dealing with domestic abuse have reported a high level of calls.
“The Accord phone–line is there and people can make a phone call. But obviously, sometimes it’s not even easy to make that phone call.”
Bishop Nulty urged people not to “be afraid to make that call, seek that help. Don’t hesitate whatsoever to lift that phone and make that call”.
The bishop’s comments come as Accord launches a multi-channel advertising campaign to bring “hope (support) to individuals, couples and their families, where relationships are experiencing tension, anxiety and stress during this time of pandemic”.
Accord established a phone line specifically for the pandemic in April 2020. They have received 1,128 calls from members of the public experiencing distress in their relationships up to January 2021.
To contact Accord, you can call 01 5313331 Monday-Friday, 8am–9pm.