A total of 18,409 cases of violence against women and domestic violence were reported from 2021 till June 2026, chief of police Themistos Arnaoutis said on Monday.

He was addressing the House human rights committee, pointing out that these complaints led to 3,674 arrests, 2,858 restriction orders and 373 victim protection orders.

The committee met to discuss the implementation through national law of the Istanbul Convention to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence, following the recent femicides on the island.

Justice Minister Constantinos Fitiris pointed out that the authorities should respond immediately on receiving a complaint.

Fitiris said that earlier on Monday he himself had received a message on Messenger from an unknown woman who said she was in danger from her ex-husband, who was threatening her.

“I immediately passed it on to the responsible police office,” Fitiris said.

The minister said emphasis would be given on acting immediately to complaints, by activating a special force, which will investigate and prevent any danger.

This, he said, was “very important”.

Committee chairman and Akel MP Christos Christofides described gender-based violence and femicides as a “complex issue” and called for the implementation of the national strategy on violence against women.

He spoke of “gaps that exist in terms of controlling the ability of those who carry weapons to maintain their weapons under their responsibility” and emphasised the need for a continuous reevaluation of owners of hunting weapons and police officers.

He added that a plan of the required legislative initiatives, accompanied by a clear implementation timetable, has already been requested.

“We must finally stop in this state from saying that such and such a thing needs to be changed in the legislation and then meet again after several years and repeat the same thing,” he said.

Christofides stressed that further delays would not be tolerated.

Gender equality commissioner Josie Christodoulou underlined that equality was intertwined with the fight against gender-based violence.

The issue came to the forefront last week when a police officer went to work, took his service gun, met his wife and shot and injured her critically, before committing suicide.

A couple of days earlier, a 38-year-old woman was allegedly stabbed by her former husband and was taken to hospital. The woman’s 58-year-old mother was also allegedly attacked in the same incident.

The House human rights committee will meet again at the end of August or in early September to reassess the situation.