A domestic violence case is registered in Cyprus every six hours — but the real number is higher

In Cyprus, one case of domestic violence is recorded every 6 hours and 40 minutes — but these are only the registered cases, and the real scale is higher: most victims do not dare to speak up for years. This is reported by Dialogos. At the same time, the number of complaints is rising, and the cases themselves are becoming more complex — according to data from the Cyprus Association for the Prevention and Handling of Family Violence (ΣΠΑΒΟ) for 2025. Behind the figures are women and children trying to break free from fear.

The executive director of ΣΠΑΒΟ, Andri Andreou, stresses that the statistics reflect not only the масштабы of the problem, but also the need for information, education, expanding women’s opportunities, safe housing and real protection.

Violence as part of a broader problem

One of the organization’s main conclusions is that violence almost never exists in isolation. In most cases, it is accompanied by unemployment, economic instability, low incomes, mental or physical health problems, social isolation, migration difficulties and addictions.

That is why, Andreou notes, a single targeted measure is not enough — coordinated action by different services is needed.

Who is affected and what forms does violence take

The ΣΠΑΒΟ counseling service received 83 new cases in 2025, 98.8% of them from women. The largest share of victims were aged 35–45 (43.2%), followed by 45–60 (24.7%) and 25–35 (23.5%); perpetrators are most often 40–60 years old, although there are younger ones as well — 27–35 years old.

Psychological violence is present in almost every case; physical violence is recorded in 63%, economic abuse in 23%, stalking in 13%, sexual violence in 8%, and digital violence in 7%. The forms often overlap. Of particular concern is the rise in physical and sexual violence, as well as digital abuse: the internet and gadgets are increasingly used for surveillance and intimidation — especially after a breakup or divorce.

Victims stay silent for years

Despite growing awareness, victims still remain silent for a long time: according to ΣΠΑΒΟ, an average of 7–10 years passes between the start of abuse and the first disclosure. That is why the real number of cases is significantly higher than the registered one.

The increase in complaints, Andreou emphasizes, does not necessarily mean an increase in violence — it more likely reflects greater awareness and the emergence of specialized services. For example, the “House of Women” handled 374 cases in 2025, of which 153 were new — about three women per week. The Social Welfare Services received 145 requests from women and 247 concerning children growing up in an atmosphere of fear and often becoming victims themselves.

What punishment does domestic violence carry in Cyprus?

Domestic violence on the island is regulated by the Law on the Prevention of Violence in the Family and Protection of Victims (No. 119(I)/2000, as amended by 212(I)/2004). It does not set a separate “tariff”, but treats domestic violence as an aggravating circumstance that increases the punishment for the relevant offence. Thus, ordinary assault is punishable by up to about 3 years in prison, but in a family context the sanctions are increased — for more serious offences up to 10 years, and in the most serious cases up to life imprisonment.

The court may issue a protection order: prohibiting the offender from approaching the victim and contacting them, or requiring them to leave the home; violating such an order is punishable by up to 2 years in prison.

Challenges with criminalization

Cyprus has a dedicated law, ratified the Istanbul Convention (in force since 2018), and is among the few EU countries (along with Belgium, Croatia, Italy and Malta) where femicide is defined as a separate offence. But at the EU level, criminalization remains uneven.

The first pan-European directive adopted in 2024 to combat violence against women criminalized female genital mutilation, forced marriage and several forms of cyber violence, but it still did not include a unified definition of rape based on lack of consent — it was blocked by France and Germany. As a result, almost half of EU countries still do not define rape on the basis of lack of consent, contrary to the Istanbul Convention. Chronic underreporting (less than 5% of sexual violence cases reach the police), withdrawal of complaints and those same years of silence also add to the difficulties — all of this makes accountability harder.

Where Cyprus stands on domestic violence compared with Europe

According to the pan-European survey on gender-based violence (Eurostat, FRA and EIGE, 2024), 31% of women in the EU have experienced physical or sexual violence in adulthood.

The highest rate is in Finland (57%), the lowest in Bulgaria (12%); Cyprus also took part in the survey. Important caveat: these figures largely reflect women’s willingness to speak about violence. Where awareness and trust in services are higher (as in Scandinavia), reporting is more common; and low figures may, on the contrary, hide silence where violence is more normalized. So this is not a direct ranking of “safer” and “more dangerous” countries.

If you or your loved ones are facing domestic violence, ΣΠΑΒΟ operates a 24/7 helpline in Cyprus — 1440.