COVID-19 Domestic Violence Country Updates: Cyprus
Thursday, July 23, 2020 4:15 PM

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Since the beginning of the pandemic, Cyprus has seen a rise in domestic violence cases. During the first weeks of the country’s lockdown orders, the national domestic violence hotline reported a 30% increase in calls reporting cases. One Cyprus-based domestic abuse organization reports that in March, due to stay-at-home orders, family violence increased by 50%. The spike in domestic violence cases overwhelmed many local organizations’ abilities to respond effectively to calls. In March, the Association for the Prevention of and Handling of Violence in the Family received 2,100 calls to its helpline, but, due to understaffing, more than half of those calls were left unanswered.