Number of women killed violently in Ireland this year overtakes 2025 total

Thursday 9th July 2026: The current murder hunt taking place following the violent death of Jamey Carney in Killarney and the charging of a man with murder of his wife, Adina Constantin in her own home in County Laois this past weekend, Women’s Aid shares a stark update. According to the Women’s Aid Femicide Watch for the Republic of Ireland, eight women have died in violent circumstances so far this year.

This number overtakes the recorded figure of seven women for the whole of 2025.

Sarah Benson, CEO of Women’s Aid says:

“Violence, abuse, and even at its extremes, death, are still a reality for many women living in Ireland. After the devastating murder of Ashling Murphy in 2022, Ireland said never again. But Ireland has not lived up to that promise.

Since then, 40 women have died violently in Ireland. That is 40 women with lives, dreams, family, friends and communities.

Since we started the Women’s Aid Femicide Watch in 1996, 286 women have died violently in Ireland. Every death is an outrage. An absolute tragic loss of life resulting in utter heartache and trauma for those left behind.

We are thinking of Adina Costantin and Jamey Carney, and their loved ones, colleagues and communities .

Prevention of all domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is crucial and urgent.

Women’s Aid saw the number of contacts increase by 11.5% in 2025, a record high for its services. The Women’s Aid Annual Impact Report 2025, launched in June, revealed that the organisation recorded 62,275 disclosures of abuse against women and children during 37,790 contacts last year. Disclosures in 2025 increased by 33% on 2024, which is also a record high for the Women’s Aid National Freephone Helpline and face-to-face support services.

The number and nature of the disclosures of abuse to our frontline services is utterly appalling. However, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Thirty five percent of women in Ireland (one in three) suffer physical, psychological or sexual abuse from an intimate partner. The level of demand for Women’s Aid services during 2025 remained both unprecedented and deeply concerning. Behind every contact and disclosure is a woman or child navigating fear, coercion, and harm, often within situations of profound complexity. Abuse continues to manifest across emotional, physical, sexual, and economic dimensions, frequently compounded by housing insecurity, financial strain, and systemic barriers within the justice system. Each disclosure represents very serious harm perpetrated against a woman or child by someone they should be able to trust.

We have a real and urgent problem with violence against women, including femicide in Ireland. 

Ireland is one of the richest countries in the world and we have good legislation. Yet, we still have the serious problem of one in three women suffering physical, psychological, sexual abuse from an intimate partner. It is a complex problem. On the one hand, it’s a simple, and on the other, there are so many men, and majority men, who choose not to behave in this way. But we need everyone in our communities to recognise that there is a problem and call it out. 


The Women’s Aid Femicide Watch shows that 87% of women (where the case has been resolved) were killed by a man known to them. We also know that in Ireland, one in three women has been subjected to domestic abuse of some kind.

Every woman has the right to be safe in her home and in her community, and this is just not the case. We must do the work required to achieve equality and safety for all, to make Ireland a country that truly has zero tolerance for domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

Support is available on the Women’s Aid 24-Hour National Freephone Helpline on 1800 341 900, or go to womensaid.ie to use the Instant Message Service or for more information on domestic violence and abuse.”

Ends.

Support Information 

Women’s Aid 24-hour National Freephone helpline 1800 341 900 www.womensaid.ie

National Male Advice Line 1800 816 588  https://mensnetwork.ie/mal/  


Notes to the producers/editor:

  • Eight women died violently in the Republic of Ireland in 2025.
  • Since 1996, 286 women have died violently in the Republic of Ireland (up to 9th July 2026). Of the women that were killed:
    • 63% were killed in their own homes.
    • 55% were killed by a partner or ex (of the resolved cases)
    • Almost 9 in 10 women knew their killer
  • According to Women’s Aid’s Joint Femicide Watch with Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland, 82 women have died in violent circumstances across the Island of Ireland since 2020. (52 women in the Republic and 30 in Northern Ireland).
  • Women’s Aid is a national, feminist organisation working to prevent and address the impact of domestic violence and abuse including coercive control, in Ireland since 1974. We do this by advocating, influencing, training, and campaigning for effective responses to reduce the scale and impacts of domestic abuse on women and children in Ireland and providing high quality, specialised, integrated, support services.