223 charged in 216 domestic abuse cases in Paphos since February

The Paphos police domestic violence branch has investigated 216 cases since its establishment in February this year, bringing charges against 223 people.

According to assistant director Michalis Ioannou, the unit had received complaints from 239 people, 142 Cypriots and 97 foreign nationals.

Charges were brought against 223 individuals, 134 Cypriots and 89 foreign nationals.

Police had also arrested 106 people in the process of investigating the complaints while 42 exclusion orders had been issued.

Restraining orders had been issued in 57 cases, Ioannou said.

The unit is staffed by specially trained officers while complaints are filed straight to the district’s CID department and not local police stations, as was the practice in the past.

This encourages complainants, in their majority women and children, to file complaints.

Similar units have been established in other districts.