During the lockdown of the first COVID-19 wave, police, women’s shelters, and non-governmental organizations in Europe reported a surge in domestic violence, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights said Wednesday.
In a report published to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women which falls today, it said the second wave of coronavirus and associated lockdown are likely to see similar patterns with women at increased risk of domestic violence.
Agency’s EU-wide survey on violence against women shows that nearly one in three women who find it difficult to make ends meet experienced intimate partner violence. Economic dependency may lead some women to remain trapped in abusive relationships, unable to leave, it warns. “It is now high time for governments to act. The police, justice, and health sectors need to work together to prevent violence and support victims,” stressed the report.
Source-Kuna