PSNI marks three years of tackling VAWG plan with over 5,000 arrests

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has marked three years since the launch of its Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) Action Plan, outlining the progress made and reaffirming its commitment to making communities safer as the initiative enters its fourth year.

Launched in September 2022, the seven-year plan set out 41 actions aimed at building trust, relentlessly pursuing perpetrators and creating safer spaces.

The revised framework for years three to seven places an even greater focus on outcomes to tackle what police describe as the “epidemic” of violence against women and girls.

Arrests and crime figures

Since the introduction of new legislation covering domestic abuse, stalking and non-fatal strangulation, PSNI officers have made 5,042 arrests up to the end of August 2025. Four Stalking Protection Orders have also been implemented.

Monthly averages show 84 arrests for domestic abuse, 19 for stalking and threatening behaviour, and 76 for non-fatal strangulation.

In the twelve months to July 2025, 21,729 VAWG offences were recorded, a 4% decrease compared to the previous year.

New initiatives and training

The PSNI is preparing to roll out Project Vigilant, a proactive initiative developed by Thames Valley Police.

Specially trained plain-clothed and uniformed officers will be deployed in Northern Ireland’s night-time economy to identify predatory behaviour and intervene to safeguard women. A formal launch is expected in the coming weeks.

Neighbourhood teams have also hosted 21 ‘Walk and Talk’ events across the province, giving women the opportunity to share concerns directly with officers.

Meanwhile, the PSNI’s ‘Power to Change’ campaign, which has reached more than three million people online, has been developed into a mandatory internal training package for all officers and staff. Active bystander training has also been introduced to help challenge inappropriate behaviour both within policing and in wider society.

Progress on action plan commitments

Of the 41 actions originally set out, 33 were completed in the first two years. An additional 13 actions have since been added, including:

• A review of historic cases of sexual impropriety and misconduct against PSNI personnel

• Operationalising Domestic Abuse Protection Orders and Notices

• Establishing scrutiny panels for rape “no prosecution” outcomes

• Supporting the development of a Northern Ireland domestic abuse perpetrator strategy

Six of the 21 active measures were completed in year three, with significant progress reported on the remainder.

Police leadership

Detective Chief Inspector Leah Crothers, one of the PSNI’s Tackling VAWG Leads, said:

“We remain committed to doing everything we can to prevent harm, call out unacceptable attitudes and behaviours and protect women and girls wherever they live - in towns, cities and rural communities.

“We have always been clear that it will take a societal effort to make a real change. But as a police service we have an opportunity to lead the way and to do so we have to be willing to look inwards to our own organisation and challenge our own attitudes and behaviours.

“We want to make our night time economy settings as safe as possible and a hostile place for predatory behaviours. Tackling Violence against Women and Girls requires commitment from all — where perpetrators are held to account, communities stand together, and we work with partners to make every space safe. This remains our goal.”

Survivor speaks out

The human cost of such violence was highlighted by 24-year-old “Sophie” (not her real name), who shared her story to encourage other women to come forward.

In March 2021, Sophie was assaulted after meeting a fellow student via Tinder. Despite initially engaging in consensual sex, the perpetrator, Fearghall Mulgrew, bit her and carried out further acts without consent. She sustained multiple injuries.

Sophie reported the incident to police and, in February 2024, Mulgrew was convicted of sexual assault by penetration and five counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was sentenced to 22 months, eight in custody, and placed on the sex offenders register for 10 years.

Speaking about the impact, Sophie said:

“This incident has impacted my ability to form romantic relationships, I can’t be intimate with partners without a constant reminder of what happened… I support the work of the action plan and the recent police campaigning because I have experienced what it is like to have your rights stripped away from you.”

Between January 2019 and July 2025, 36 women and girls in Northern Ireland were tragically killed by men, underlining the continuing scale of the challenge.