Justice Minister Naomi Long has marked five years of advocacy development for ASSIST NI, an advocacy service supporting victims of domestic and sexual abuse through Northern Ireland’s criminal justice system. The milestone event at Stormont brought together police, health professionals, and voluntary sector partners to reflect on the development of victim advocacy services.
The celebration comes as domestic abuse continues to represent a significant challenge across Northern Ireland. Police statistics show 31,961 domestic abuse incidents were recorded in the 12 months to June 2026, with 18,903 crimes recorded—representing roughly one in five of all crimes. The advocacy service aims to help high-risk victims navigate this landscape.
What ASSIST NI Provides
ASSIST NI operates as a partnership between three specialist organisations: Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid, Foyle Women’s Aid, and the Men’s Advisory Project. According to the Department of Justice, the service delivers:
- Individual needs and risk assessments
- Safety support planning
- Help maintaining engagement with the criminal justice system
- Referrals to specialist statutory and voluntary services
- One-to-one advocacy throughout court proceedings
Advocates are based in police stations across all eleven policing districts and at the Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre in Antrim. The service supports victims of all genders, including adults and young people, with dedicated children’s advocacy having commenced in July 2025.
Minister Praises Partnership Working
Speaking at the event, Justice Minister Naomi Long emphasised the collective nature of the response to domestic and sexual abuse.
“For the past five years, ASSIST NI has played an important role in ensuring that victims of domestic and sexual abuse are supported, heard and empowered as they navigate what can be an incredibly difficult and challenging period in their lives.
“Advocacy is about making sure that victims do not have to face those challenges alone. It provides a trusted source of support, helping people to understand their options, access the services they need and have their voice heard.”
The Minister highlighted the importance of cross-sector collaboration: “Tackling domestic and sexual abuse requires a collective response. No single organisation or agency can do this work in isolation. The partnerships represented here today demonstrate what can be achieved when statutory agencies, specialist services and the voluntary and community sector work together around the needs of victims.”
On support for younger victims, she added: “We know that domestic and sexual abuse can have a profound impact on children and young people. It is therefore vital that support recognises their individual circumstances, needs and vulnerabilities. The development of dedicated advocacy for children and young people is an important part of ensuring that they too have access to appropriate support and that their voices are heard.”
“Five years is an important milestone and an opportunity to recognise how far advocacy services have come. However, it is also an opportunity to look ahead. My Department remains committed to working with partners across government, statutory agencies and the voluntary and community sector to improve the response to domestic and sexual abuse and ensure victims are supported at every stage.”
Questions About Timeline and Impact
The Department’s claim of “five years” of ASSIST NI warrants clarification. External sources indicate the service was established in 2021 by its current partnership, with the adult and children’s advocacy schemes formally launched in April and July 2025 respectively. The Minister’s remarks may reflect five years of advocacy development work, or the evolution of earlier pilot services into the current structured programme.
Notably absent from the announcement were specific metrics on service reach. The press release does not state:
- How many victims ASSIST NI has supported to date
- Average waiting times for advocacy support
- Whether demand exceeds available capacity
- The service’s budget or funding arrangements
- Outcomes data on victim satisfaction or case progression
These omissions make it difficult to assess whether the service is meeting need at scale. With domestic abuse crimes having risen 3.1% in the most recent annual data, the pressure on advocacy services is unlikely to have diminished. The Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy 2024-2031 action plan notes that some actions are “dependent on funding being secured,” indicating broader resource pressures across the sector.
Broader Context
ASSIST NI operates within a wider framework of the Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy 2024-2031, launched in September 2024. The seven-year strategy, developed jointly by the Departments of Justice and Health, is built around five pillars: partnership, prevention, children and young people, support and provision, and justice.
The advocacy service connects victims to broader support including Victim Support NI’s Witness Service, which provides courtroom accompaniment, and the Sexual Offences Legal Advisers scheme for children and young people.
Questions for Consideration
- How does the Department reconcile the “five years” milestone with external records showing ASSIST NI’s establishment in 2021, and what specific service developments does this anniversary recognise?
- What assessment has been made of whether advocacy capacity matches current and projected demand, particularly given rising domestic abuse incident numbers?
- How is the service measuring its effectiveness in helping victims remain engaged with the criminal justice system, and will these outcomes be published?
- What funding protections exist for ASSIST NI and its partner organisations amid broader pressures on voluntary sector finances?
- How is the lived experience input gathered at this event being systematically incorporated into service design and policy development?
The Department of Justice has indicated that partnership working will remain central to its approach. Victims seeking support can contact ASSIST NI through police referral, the Rowan SARC, or Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences. The 24-hour Domestic and Sexual Abuse Helpline is available on 0808 802 1414 for those not yet engaged with criminal justice services.