Reports of domestic violence outnumber those of previous years

More than 3,000 incidents of domestic violence were reported to the police in 2025, marking an increase to previous years, the police’s responsible officer Evi Nicolaou said on Monday.

Nicolaou said the rise in complaints reflected a level of trust to the authorities, as victims felt safe to reach out to the authorities and seek help, however she did not provide any concrete figures.

She added that an increase in reports could be observed, particularly since 2021, when regional teams were established to handle relevant cases.

Nicolaou said that crucial steps to improve the corresponding legislation and increase the support infrastructure for victims had been taken within recent years, however, emphasised that many cases still remained behind closed doors.

This, she stressed, was one of the key reasons behind the lauch of the Elpis (hope) app designed to support victims of domestic violence to discreetly contact the police, which was made available to the public in July 2025.

Since then, more than 244 people have registered, while a total of 14 people used the app’s panic button, prompting the authorities to intervene, Nicolaou said.

“The app essentially enables victims of domestic violence, when they are in a position of immediate danger and have no other way to seek help from the police, either because the perpetrator is next to them or because there is an increased risk of receiving serious violence, to press the button and request immediate assistance for a discreet police response,” Nicolaou said.

Gender equality commissioner Josie Christodoulou urged that measures to tackle domestic violence should focus on prevention, the support of victims and deterring perpetrators.

“We must strike at the root of the problem,” she said.

The commissioner emphasised that violence against women was rooted in long-standing power relations and unconscious perceptions of stereotypes.