Domestic violence: the situation is worsening

On 22 June 2026, at the annual general meeting of the Association for the Prevention and Combating of Violence in the Family (ΣΠΑΒΟ), statistical results for 2025 were presented. The organisation recorded not only an increase in the total number of complaints and incidents, but also a more complex case structure. The main negative trend identified was the rapid escalation of conflicts: in 51% of cases, the violence intensified over the past few months.

Forms and patterns of violence:
According to the report by the chair of ΣΠΑΒΟ’s board, Maria Chaviara Kosiou, different forms of abuse are regularly combined within a single case. The shares of recorded types of violence were distributed as follows:
— Psychological violence — 100% of cases.
— Physical violence — 63%.
— Economic abuse — 23%.
— Spiritual abuse and harassment — 13%.
— Sexual violence — 8%.
— Cyberstalking — 7%.

Statistics from the association’s specialised services:
— Counselling service. 81 new cases were registered. Among the victims, 98.8% were women and 1.2% were men. The main age group of applicants was 35 to 45 years old (43.2%), followed by the 45–60 (24.7%) and 25–35 (23.5%) age groups.
— Women’s House (Σπίτι της Γυναίκας). Over the year, the service handled 374 cases, 153 of which were new requests.
— Helpline 1440. A total of 5,728 calls were made to the national helpline over the year.

Position of officials and government departments:
Minister of Social Welfare Clea Papaelina said that state subsidies for ΣΠΑΒΟ programmes in 2025 amounted to 2 million euros. She reminded that, according to international data, one in five women experiences domestic or physical violence.

Other participants in the meeting highlighted the key areas of focus:
— ΣΠΑΒΟ Director Andria Andronikou and Justice Ministry representative Aristos Tsartas pointed to the importance of interdepartmental cooperation within the framework of the Istanbul Convention and the training of specialised professionals.
— Children’s Rights Commissioner Eleni Pericleou stressed that children in such families are automatically recognised as the affected party, and called for long-term budget funding for the organisation.
— Gender Equality Commissioner Josi Christodoulou noted that the root cause of the problem remains cultural gender inequality.
— Head of Accept-LGBTI Cyprus Stefanos Evangelidis drew attention to the fact that violence because of sexual orientation often comes precisely from family members, depriving a person of a safe space.