A helpline for male victims of domestic abuse has seen a 35% increase in calls from men looking for help. 

Furthermore, the calls are not only becoming more numerous but more serious as well.

Kathrina Bentley is the CEO of Men's Aid Ireland, a body that helps men suffering from domestic abuse. She tells The Pat Kenny Show that while the problem of male domestic abuse is growing, trying to urge more victims to come forward remains problematic for reasons already outlined.

"Last year, in 2020, we got about five and a half thousand contacts," she said. "So we kicked in with online counselling which has seen a huge uptick.

"Definitely, this year, we saw that the surge has continued. It is growing in terms of demand. Emotional abuse, manipulation, financial, physical and sexual abuse all happen, too.

"Our call to government is to increase fundings for all genders. Our funding is just one per cent of the national budget, so we do feel we're in the trenches in the war against COVID-19 and the war against domestic violence.

"There is a huge number of people coming forward, but our funding of one per cent is not sufficient with the demand we're experiencing.

"Often what gets forgotten in all this is the children. No child deserves to be broken if a relationship breaks up. We often try and avoid going into the family courts to save the children. It's a heartbreaking issue.

"Domestic violence is broad, complex and there are really no winners. At the end of the day, everyone deserves the right to live life in a safe home."

If you have been affected by domestic abuse; 

Women’s Aid operates a 24hr National Freephone Helpline: 1800 341 900

Men's Aid can be reached confidentially on: 01 5543811 / hello@mensaid.ie