Cases of domestic and gender-based violence increased in 2025, with incidents becoming more complex and severe, the Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family (Spavo) said on Monday.

Presenting the organisation’s annual report, Spavo board president Maria Chaviara Kousiou expressed concern over the escalation of violence in many of the cases handled by the association.

She said that violence had intensified in around half of all cases (51 per cent) during recent months, underlining the need for timely intervention and effective support for victims.

According to figures presented at the meeting, psychological abuse was recorded in all cases handled by the organisation. Physical violence was present in 63 per cent of cases, economic abuse in 23 per cent, spiritual abuse and stalking in 13 per cent, sexual violence in eight per cent and online abuse in seven per cent.

Spavo noted that different forms of abuse often coexist and are invariably accompanied by psychological violence.

The organisation’s counselling service handled 81 new cases in 2025, with women accounting for 98.8 per cent of victims and men 1.2 per cent. The largest proportion of victims were aged between 35 and 45 years old (43.2 per cent), followed by those aged 45 to 60 (24.7 per cent) and 25 to 35 (23.5 per cent).

Meanwhile, the Women’s House recorded 374 cases during the year, including 153 new cases.

Spavo currently operates 17 services and programmes, while 5,728 calls were received through the national 1440 helpline in 2025.

“Our work is not measured only by statistics,” Kousiou said.

“It is measured in the women who were protected, the children who felt safe again, the families that regained hope and the people who found the strength to move forward.”

Representing President Nikos Christodoulides, Deputy Minister for Social Welfare Marilena Evangelou Papapetrou said Spavo’s programmes received €2 million in state support in 2025, describing the funding as “a practical expression of confidence in the work being carried out”.

She described domestic and gender-based violence as “one of the most serious social problems of our time with a profound impact on society”.

Citing research findings, Papapetrou said one in five women experiences physical violence at least once during adulthood, one in 10 experiences sexual violence and one in five is subjected to violence within the family.

“These are not just numbers. They represent human lives and traumatic experiences that require our collective mobilisation,” she said.

Spavo scientific director Andria Andronikou stressed the importance of cooperation among agencies involved in combating domestic violence.

“When cooperation works, victims, families and society as a whole benefit. When there are gaps, delays or a lack of continuity, the only real losers are the victims who need us,” she said.