Key points
- The number of criminal proceedings for domestic violence decreased by 28%.
- 79% of cases recorded this year were brought before the court.
- Calls to the national hotline increased by 9%.
- Most complaints concern psychological and physical abuse.
- The number of calls from children, men and older people is increasing.
Ukraine has seen a decrease in the number of criminal proceedings related to domestic violence, while the number of calls to specialised hotlines for help has increased. Data for the current year shows a gap between official statistics and the actual scale of the problem.
According to the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine, 1,996 criminal proceedings have been opened since the beginning of the year under the article on domestic violence. This is 28 per cent less than in the same period last year. This decline has been recorded for the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion. On average, about 180 cases are registered each month, with the highest number of complaints traditionally occurring during the winter period. In January this year, law enforcement agencies opened 277 new proceedings.
Read also:
Crisis room for victims of violence opened in Korosten
Despite the reduction in the number of cases, a significant proportion of them reach court. According to available data, courts received 79 per cent of all recorded proceedings. For comparison, in previous years this figure also remained high, indicating the relative stability of court proceedings in such cases.
The statistics of the National Hotline for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking and Gender Discrimination show a different picture. In the first three quarters of the year, the hotline received more than 35,000 calls, which is 9 per cent more than last year. Nine out of ten calls concerned cases of domestic violence. The vast majority of applicants are women, but there is a growing trend in the number of calls from men, who for the second year in a row account for about a quarter of all calls. Also, 14 per cent of calls come from people aged 50 and older, and there has been an increase in calls from children.
Most often, people report psychological abuse. About a third of complaints are related to physical abuse, 17 per cent are related to economic pressure, and another 1.6 per cent are related to sexual abuse.
Yulia Dmytruk, a lawyer with the NGO La Strada-Ukraine, notes that recently there has been an increase in calls from victims in military families, as well as from children who witness violence. According to her, in situations where the mother does not seek help, it is the children who try to find support. She cites the spread of gender-based violence in cyberspace, including sexual harassment, threats and manipulation of adults and children, as a separate problem.
Experts explain the discrepancy between the decrease in the number of official proceedings and the increase in calls to the hotline by a number of factors. These include victims’ lack of awareness of their rights and response mechanisms, difficulties in accessing help due to blackouts, forced relocations and unstable living conditions during the war.
Specialised hotlines for victims of domestic violence continue to operate in Ukraine, as well as separate lines for children and young people, which receive a significant proportion of calls.
Read also:
Closer Than You Think. About Domestic Violence in Ukraine
