A quarter of women killed in Ireland die at the hands of a former partner.

A report by Women’s Aid released today reveals that 209 women have died violently since 1996, the majority killed by someone they have or had an intimate relationship with.

Almost 1,000 callers rang Women’s Aid last year to say they had received a death threat.

The charity is aiming to show how dangerous domestic violence can be and how it can escalate.

Director Margaret Martin said Women’s Aid wanted to build an understanding of why women don’t leave abusive relationships.

“Just before a woman leaves, and shortly afterwards, can be a very high-risk time,” she said. “A lot of the time the reason women don’t leave is because they know it’s going to escalate their risk.

“Women’s Aid works on safety planning to try and look at when is the time to do that more safely. It can take a degree of planning.”

Women’s Aid offers a 24-hour helpline on 1800 341 900.