Cyprus Mail 1 December 2024 - by Rebekah Gregoriades
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| Gender-based violence is the focus of a campaign running from November 25 to December 10 (Depositphotos) • Credits: Depositphotos |
‘The first thing police asked was: Are they foreigners?’
Domestic violence is on the rise with over 11,000 cases reported in five years, but it appears that police do not always respond speedily to incidents involving foreign nationals.
Police have recorded 11,000 cases of domestic violence in five years up to 2022 while non-governmental Spavo, which takes care of victims and offers counselling and shelter, receives on average five calls per day.
Gender-based violence is the focus of a campaign running from November 25 to December 10, in the framework of 16-day-long events around the world.
During the length of the campaign, video and other material aimed at preventing and combatting gender-based violence will be in the media and social platforms.
The campaign, launched by the justice ministry in collaboration with the gender equality commissioner’s office, aspires to break social stereotypes and prejudices, facilitate access to information and place the victims’ rights to protection at the epicentre of actions and policies to effectively address violence.
Despite efforts to prevent and suppress the issue, with specialised departments being set up and staffed by trained officers, the commissioner for children’s rights says “much still needs to be done”.
The law in Cyprus covers Cypriots and foreigners alike and all are urged to come forward, including witnesses, to report active incidents so that the victims are protected and the perpetrators prosecuted.
Domestic violence can happen to anyone of any race, age, sexual orientation, religion or gender. It can happen to couples who are married, living together or who are dating. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels.
According to statistics available on the police website, in 2018 there were 965 cases of domestic violence and in 2022 they rose to 3,082. The highest number was recorded in 2021, when they reached 3,347.
Of these cases, 59.18 per cent had to do with causing bodily harm, 39.36 per cent psychological violence and 1.45 per cent sexual abuse.
Of the total of 11,312 complaints from 2018 to 2022, 66.16 per cent were filed by women, 16.96 per cent by men, 8.6 per cent by girls under the age of 18 and 8.28 per cent by boys under the age of 18.
Those reported for domestic violence were mostly men. From 2018 to 2022, there were a total of 10,740 people reported, of which 77.75 per cent were men.
Handling these cases is not always straightforward and there have been complaints against the authorities, some regarding the handling of foreigners and others concerning giving the heads up to perpetrators.
Head of the domestic violence branch of the police’s sub-directorate for the management of cases of vulnerable persons Evi Nicolaou explained to the Cyprus Mail what happens when a complaint is received.
Victims or witnesses can call the emergency lines or contact their closest police station for immediate response and then all cases are forwarded to the domestic violence branch for investigation.
The sub-directorate was set up in 2021 with an aim “to show that we are determined not to tolerate this anymore and to act to prevent and suppress it”, Nicolaou said.
“Domestic violence appears to be on the rise and is of increased severity, as there is the danger that someone will be murdered as incidents unfold.”
Nicolaou said it was important to notify the police immediately, even if it is just a suspicion of violence.
The police follow certain protocols once a complaint is received and all cases are “handled in exactly the same way for anyone, whether Cypriot or foreign, without discrimination in the approach”, she said.
Anecdotal evidence does, however, suggest a different story.
Christina and her family had been witnessing family violence for weeks next door. On quiet days, the father played with the three young children. On other days, he would come home from work, punch the door and beat up his wife.
When Christina dialed 112. “The first thing they asked was ‘Are they foreigners?’ I said they were and the police said they would look into it.” But no one showed up. Christina called again and gathered that the police had received other calls for the same family on various occasions.
“They didn’t come. No one came,” she said.
On another occasion, Christina called Spavo and asked them to call the police. “Twenty minutes later, I called Spavo again. They couldn’t believe no one had turned up,” Christina said.
Andreas had a similar experience at a friend’s house. He called the police, confirmed it was foreigners, and the police never showed up.
On the other end of the scale, Anastasia called the police when she heard a woman calling for help in the neighbourhood. Again, the police asked if the woman was a foreigner and, when she said the woman sounded Cypriot, the police came immediately.
Nicolaou said sometimes it may appear that the police do not turn up immediately, however this would depend on the distance of the police station from the site of the complaint, traffic and other factors.
“Many times, some incidents are prioritised over others,” Nicolaou said, adding that “it is very important that people state the severity of the incident.”
In handling cases of Cypriots and foreigners, Nicolaou said the only difference was that foreigners may need an interpreter, whose services are provided free of charge.
“Whether a victim or a witness, cases of domestic violence must be reported to the police in as much detail as possible.”
Nicolaou said the law was a fundamental tool for investigation and criminal prosecution and that obtaining a testimony was imperative.
“Things are not perfect, but the aim is the best interests of the families facing these problems. So, whoever has a complaint that a member of the police did not handle something properly, they can contact the chief of police by email or mail, explaining the problem and it will be investigated,” Nicolaou said.
“Problems have arisen at times regarding the handling of domestic violence cases by the police regardless of the nationality of the victims,” Commissioner for Children’s Rights Despo Michaelidou-Livaniou told the Cyprus Mail.
The commissioner said “there are a quite a few cases” and cited a specific case included in a published opinion of her office regarding the handling of a domestic violence case – possibly sexual abuse too – against an underaged girl by a foster family.”
“There appeared to be inadequate handling on behalf of the police of a complaint by the school regarding domestic violence by the foster father towards the child. The police did not follow proper procedures according to the handbook of interdepartmental procedures for cases of domestic violence, leaving the child unprotected,” the commissioner told the Cyprus Mail.
According to Livaniou, it appears that the officer in charge called the foster father after the complaint, remarked on his behaviour and did not investigate the case, since the child did not wish to proceed with a criminal investigation against her father.
Head of the preventive policy of the association for the prevention and handling of violence in the family (Spavo) Marilena Ioannou said everyone has the same rights, whether Cypriot citizens or foreigners.
As to why the police may enquire about the nationality of the victim and may not turn up at the scene, Ioannou said “this may not be restricted to the police but happen across many services.”
“We in frontline professions have a duty to help […] Each one of us should consider our profession and position and how we can help a person who is calling for help,” she added.
Spavo undertakes campaigns to prevent domestic violence, to raise awareness, to train professionals to identify the signs and to get people to report any incidents.
It protects the victims and runs various support programmes and shelters.
Ioannou said it was also important for foreigners, who may be away from their broader families, to know that “they are not alone.”
As it is not always easy for victims to make a move towards help, it is important that people close by can identify and report domestic violence.
Spavo receives on average five calls a day. “In most cases, it is the victim that contacts Spavo.”
Livaniou said her office would step in when there are indications of violation of children’s rights and investigates the compatibility of national legislation, policy decisions and administrative practices on behalf of public or private authorities.
The commissioner’s mandate covers all children in Cyprus, regardless of nationality.
She said the advisory committee for the prevention and combating of violence in the family (Sepkvo) and the welfare services, in cooperation with Spavo and other services, have prepared a handbook for procedures in handling domestic violence, derived from the law on domestic violence.
The Cyprus Mail contacted Sepkvo in early September. To date, there has been no response whatsoever.
Livaniou said it was “necessary to draft action plans for better, systemic and coordinated cooperation in the framework of interservice cooperation of the authorities in order to achieve immediate response.”
“Beyond doubt, silence and tolerance of violence may lead to more serious crimes, an increased danger of murder and devastating consequences on the life of the victims and their family in general,” Nicolaou said.
WHO TO CALL
Police: call emergency line 112 or 199, citizen’s line 1460, sub-directorate for handling cases of vulnerable people 22808442 or write to domviol.childabuse@police.gov.cy or contact the closest police station
Spavo: call helpline 1440, send a message to SMS helpline 99984042 or access live chat www.domviolence.org.cy
The full version of the law can be found at www.police.gov.cy and the rights of victims on the police website here, https://www.police.gov.cy/police/police.nsf/All/1DE77CE211EB3EF6C22586BF00317EB9?OpenDocument available in Arabic, Bulgarian, Czech, English, French, Greek, Italian, Russian and Turkish.
