The number of official criminal cases on domestic violence has dropped by 28%

1,996 criminal cases under the article on domestic violence were opened by the Prosecutor General’s Office of Ukraine this year. For the first time since the start of the full-scale invasion, the number of official domestic violence cases has decreased. Compared to the same period last year, such cases fell by 28%.

On average, about 180 cases are registered each month. The peak of reports of domestic violence traditionally falls on the winter holidays. For example, 277 new cases were opened in January this year.

A large share of these cases reaches the courts: 79% of all registered cases have already been sent to court this year.

Meanwhile, according to the National Hotline for the Prevention of Domestic Violence, Human Trafficking, and Gender Discrimination, the situation looks less optimistic. This year, the number of calls for help increased by 9%. In just the first three quarters, over 35,000 calls were received, and 90% of them concerned domestic violence cases. In 14% of calls, the victims were people aged 50+.

Nearly half of the calls concerned psychological abuse, about one-third were about physical abuse, 17% involved economic abuse, and 1.6% involved sexual abuse. For the second year in a row, one in four calls about domestic violence came from men.

«We are seeing an increase in the number of calls from families of servicemen. Calls from children who witness violence are also becoming more frequent. When a mother, as the victim, does not seek help, the children do it on her behalf. We are also observing a growing trend of gender-based violence in cyberspace, which includes sexual harassment, threats, and manipulation—affecting both adults and children», 

— comments Yuliia Dmytruk, lawyer at the NGO La Strada—Ukraine.

Yuliia notes that the gap between the decrease in official criminal cases and the increase in hotline calls may have several causes: from victims being unaware of the legislation, their rights, and police procedures for domestic violence cases, to practical difficulties like blackouts or relocations that make it impossible to seek help.

If you or someone you know suffers from domestic violence, you can call the special hotlines: 0 800 500 335 or 116 123.

For cases involving children and youth, there is a separate hotline: 116 111 or 0 800 500 225.