More domestic violence reports in first 9 months than in all 2020
Police received more reports of domestic violence in the first nine months of this year than in in the whole of 2019 and 2020, a conference on Thursday heard.
Up to September, a total of 5,857 incidents of domestic violence were reported to the police, more than the 5,413 throughout 2020 and 5,221 cases in 2019.
Addressing the online event “Abuse and social perceptions,” organized by AID-Alternative Innovative Development and the Women’s Political Power, Deputy Minister for Demographic Policy and Family, Maria Syregela, pointed out that there are 43 counseling centers offering free legal, social and psychological support to women victims of violence. They provide employment support, as a large percentage of women who resort to these structures are unemployed.
At the event, AID presented a survey conducted on a sample of 252 people, the vast majority of whom are women (83%) third-level graduates or hold a master’s degree (80%). The survey shows that 82% of the respondents considered bodily harm and 87% non-consensual sexual intercourse to be harassment and abuse.
Almost half of the respondents (122 people) stated that they had been victims or witnesses of abuse or harassment. However, only 30 people filed a complaint. [AMNA]
