A woman whose father was murdered by his partner in 2022 says she hopes a new campaign encouraging male victims of domestic abuse to come forward could prevent similar tragedies. Shannon McIlwaine's father, Tony Browne, was stabbed while asleep by his partner Wiktoria Maksymowicz, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024 after admitting murder and must serve at least 14 years before she can be considered for release.
The campaign, named \"Every Victim Matters\", was launched by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) together with the Men's Advisory Project to raise awareness that men, too, can be subjected to domestic abuse. New figures published alongside the launch show that police recorded more than 5,800 domestic abuse crimes against male victims in Northern Ireland during 2025.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Evening Extra, McIlwaine said she wished her father had confided in her or sought help before his death.
Every single day I wish that he had just come forward to me and said 'Shannon, this is happening' or went to the police or even another man who he felt he could speak to about it.
If he had just said to someone it was going on in his life he still would have been here today I think.
So I'm hoping with this coming forward it will open some people's eyes to realise men can be abused as well, men can be victims of abuse just as much as women can.
McIlwaine welcomed the campaign as an important step in changing attitudes, describing it as encouraging that more attention is now being paid to male victims.
There is still a big massive stigma attached to male victims of domestic abuse.
What does the campaign involve?
Launched on 18 August 2026, the initiative is designed to challenge misconceptions about male victims and to draw attention to forms of abuse that go beyond physical violence, including coercive control and emotional abuse, according to a national broadcaster's report. Under UK law, domestic abuse is defined as behaviour between two people aged 16 or over who are personally connected, and it can involve a single incident or an ongoing pattern, regardless of whether the couple lives together or is romantically involved.
How prevalent is domestic abuse against men?
Between April 2025 and March 2026, the PSNI logged 5,817 domestic abuse crimes involving male victims, who made up around 32% of all recorded domestic abuse victims in that period. Roughly 19% of the crimes reported by male victims resulted in what police term a sanction outcome. Separately, the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) reported that police recorded 31,558 domestic abuse incidents and 18,748 domestic abuse crimes across Northern Ireland in the 12 months to 31 March 2026, according to NISRA. Official figures published in May 2026 recorded 11 domestic abuse homicides in Northern Ireland over the same 12-month period, four of which involved male victims, per the same NISRA release.
PSNI Det Supt Kerry Brennan said men experiencing abuse should not feel diminished by speaking out.
If you are a man experiencing domestic abuse, you are not weak, and you are not alone.
Speaking up is not a failure of strength - it's the first act of reclaiming it. Your voice matters just as much as anyone else's. We will listen, and we will act.
She added that abuse against men carries the same weight as abuse against any other victim.
Abuse is abuse. It's not a lesser crime because the victim is male.
Domestic abuse doesn't wear one face, and it certainly doesn't check your gender before it destroys your confidence, your safety, and your sense of self.
What support is available for male victims?
The Men's Advisory Project says it helps more than 1,000 men and boys affected by domestic abuse across Northern Ireland each year, a figure confirmed in the same broadcaster's coverage of the campaign launch. Its chief executive, Rhonda Lusty, said many men endure abuse, coercive control, fear and isolation for extended periods before disclosing what is happening to them, and stressed that the abuse is not always physical and can affect men of any age or background. According to that report, Lusty told men affected by abuse: \"what is happening to you matters\", urging them to contact either the police or the charity for assistance.
Research submitted to a Stormont committee in June 2026, drawing on work by Queen's University Belfast, found that more than half of male domestic abuse victims in Northern Ireland never disclose the abuse to anyone, according to a submission to the Northern Ireland Assembly's justice committee. Separately, the Men's Alliance NI has previously called for dedicated refuge provision for male victims in Northern Ireland, noting that no such shelters currently exist, after citing 5,747 recorded crimes against male victims in the 2024/25 period.
Justice Minister Naomi Long, who funded the campaign, said no one should feel unable to seek help because of their gender.
I am delighted to be able to support this campaign which will help to increase awareness that men are affected by intimate partner abuse, and that they should never feel ashamed or unable to seek help.
Support is available; speaking up is the first step in the road to recovery.
What happens next?
The next official update on domestic abuse incidents and crimes in Northern Ireland is due to cover the period ending 30 September 2026, according to a scheduled statistics release listed on the government's statistics announcements page. Campaigners and officials say continued monitoring of these figures will help assess whether awareness efforts such as \"Every Victim Matters\" are encouraging more male victims to come forward.
Key Facts
- Tony Browne, 54, was murdered by his partner Wiktoria Maksymowicz in 2022; she received a life sentence in 2024 with a minimum of 14 years.
- PSNI recorded 5,817 domestic abuse crimes against male victims between April 2025 and March 2026, accounting for 32% of all recorded victims.
- NISRA recorded 31,558 domestic abuse incidents and 18,748 domestic abuse crimes across Northern Ireland in the year to 31 March 2026, including 11 domestic abuse homicides, four involving male victims.
- The Men's Advisory Project supports over 1,000 men and boys annually, while research cited to Stormont suggests more than half of male victims never disclose their abuse.
- The next domestic abuse statistics update covering the period to 30 September 2026 is expected from official sources.
