Over 3,000 cases of domestic violence reported in 2022

Domestic violence prevention services handled over 3,000 cases of domestic violence in 2022, the association of domestic violence prevention services (Spavo) said.

The total of 3,122 incidents handled shows an increasing trend, up from 2,854 reported in 2021, 2,147 in 2020 and 1,384 in 2019, Spavo said.

Services in 2022 responded to an average of five incidents daily from calls received on the domestic violence helpline (1440), Spavo revealed, with a total of 1,670 reported incidents.

Of these, 60 per cent involved new cases, and 40 per cent repeated attacks.

The total number of calls recorded to the help line in 2022 amounted to 9,095, averaging 25 calls received daily.

Requests for help via live chat (107) or SMS (5) totalled 112 and included victims calling from abroad, from workplaces and incidents where the perpetrator was present at the time.

Services were able to assist a total of 337 victims, 149 women and 188 children, while the greatest needs were for household equipment, clothing and footwear, children’s items and food stamps.

Spavo received 168 counselling requests from 138 victims. New requests made up 65 per cent of the total, on average two daily. Fifteen per cent of counselling requests received in 2022 are ongoing in 2023.

A total of 445 women and 444 children were provided with accommodation. In all, 179 women and 206 children were re-housed in Nicosia, 177 women and 140 children in Limassol, 55 women and 55 children in Paphos, and 34 women and 43 children in various other locations.

In a sampling of 729 women over 18 who called the helpline between November 2021 and December 2022, 61 per cent reported physical violence and 84.9 per cent said they had not sought out any health services.

At The Womens’ House, a family violence prevention centre inaugurated in 2021, Spavo handled 395 cases, including 121 cases carried over from 2021, which translates to an average of nine cases per week.