Parliament: Thousands of violence cases in five years – Minister receives message from threatened woman
Data on violent behaviour was submitted to Parliament. The head of the Justice Ministry spoke of personal intervention he received this morning from a citizen in danger.
Parliament: Thousands of violence cases in five years – Minister receives message from threatened woman
More than 18,000 complaints about incidents of violence were received by the prosecuting authorities of Cyprus between 2021 and the first half of the current year. The figures were presented to the parliamentary committee examining human rights issues by the head of police, Themistoklis Arnaouti. During the same period, his services proceeded with nearly 3,700 arrests, whilst nearly 2,900 removal orders removing perpetrators from the home were issued, and over 370 protective measures in favour of victims were enacted.
The discussion took place in the context of implementing the international convention for the elimination of abuse against women, prompted by recent cases of femicide.
The holder of the Justice Ministry portfolio, Konstantinos Fyttiris, called for swift action from the relevant services from the moment a complaint is received. During his testimony, he stated that this morning he received a personal message via social network from an unknown citizen. The woman told him that she feels her life is in danger from her ex-partner following their separation and that she is receiving threats. Fyttiris stated that he immediately forwarded the information to the relevant police department.
Regarding the issue of weapons held by police officers, the Minister said that his ministry, in cooperation with the security directorate, is examining changes to legislation to introduce psychological examinations. The aim is the swift advancement of the regulation, as the issue is considered particularly serious.
Fyttiris noted that the country's legislation is already at a high level, but some adjustments are required based on recommendations from the European committee GREVIO. He also stressed the importance of public awareness and the immediate mobilisation of specialist personnel to respond to incidents in the shortest possible time.
The committee will reconvene in a new session towards the end of summer to reassess the situation.
Source: Politis