Filenews 1 September 2025 - by Michalis Hadjivasilis
The number of women who have access to the "Elpis" application has risen to 50, according to which with the press of a button on the mobile phone, the Police are informed and immediately send help to a woman who is in danger of falling victim to domestic violence.
From the day this application was put into operation, i.e. July 14, 2025, the panic button was pressed twice. The response of the Police was immediate, since within six minutes a patrol car was in the area from where help was requested and thus the worst was avoided.
On the occasion of the recent approval (August 27) by the Council of Ministers of the 2nd Activity Report of the National Coordinating Body for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women for the year 2024, the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Marios Hartsiotis, in his statements to "F" referred to the actions taken by his ministry to combat gender-based violence and what is new on the basis of the first national strategy and the National Action Plan for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women for the years 2023-2028.
According to Mr. Hartsiotis, within 2024, significant progress has been made in the field of preventing and combating violence against women, many of them with the significant contribution of the National Coordinating Body for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women, which was established and operates under the Ministry of Justice. Important training programs for frontline professionals working in the health sector, as well as primary and secondary education teachers, have been implemented, while trainings for Social Services officers are planned on a nationwide basis. At the same time, she stresses, an information and awareness campaign was launched to raise awareness among civil society about all forms of violence against women contained in the Istanbul Convention and the "ELPIS" application for victims of domestic violence was launched. The "panic button" provides the opportunity to victims of domestic violence, when they are in immediate danger and their physical and not only their integrity is threatened, to "silently" call the Police and ask for help and protection. To date, almost 50 women have been given access to this application and the response of the Police in all cases they have been called upon to assist has been immediate and catalytic for the protection of victims.
At the same time, the special Police Units that handle cases of domestic violence on a nationwide basis have been strengthened and the conduct of a broad investigation into all forms of gender-based violence affecting women and girls of migrant origin is being promoted, while measures are being launched for the creation of a single database for all forms of gender-based and domestic violence.
Regarding the support of victims of violence, Mr. Hartsiotis notes that this is daily, systematic and multi-layered. Through the multidisciplinary "Women's House", an interdisciplinary center in which professionals from all state services are co-located, victims are provided with psychological, social and legal services, on the basis of a completely victim-centered approach. At the same time, the access of victims of violence to justice has been strengthened, through a special legislative regulation that allows the provision of free legal aid to victims of domestic and gender-based violence. The strengthening of the training of frontline professionals, so that they respond with due sensitivity and effectiveness to all cases of violence, as well as the strengthening of mechanisms for the protection of victims and the fight against impunity for perpetrators, have also contributed catalytically in the above direction.
It should be noted that the entire strategy on the issue of combating gender-based violence, based on the Istanbul Convention, is the foundation on which we have built our national framework.
What the Ministry of Justice is now promoting, his political boss noted, is to strengthen the trainings of all frontline professionals through the Agency, with the aim of early identification of victims of violence and more effective intervention in these cases. In light of the recent convictions of the European Court of Human Rights, the Ministry also plans to develop synergies with the Academy of Law Service and the Judicial Training School, with the ultimate goal of raising awareness around critical issues of gender-based violence. At the same time, through the Agency, efforts will be intensified for the creation of a single database on all forms of gender-based and domestic violence, under the guidance of the European Institute for Gender Equality, while emphasis will be placed on the development and support of the operation of programs for perpetrators of violence.
At the same time, the Minister of Justice sends the message that women victims of violence are not and should not feel alone. There is help, there are structures, there are programs and mechanisms that stand by and can significantly strengthen victims of violence. With all due respect to them and the difficulties they may face as a result of the violence they suffer, I call on women victims of violence to seek help and protection and to trust that they will not be left unprotected.
Finally, it emphasizes that the prevention and fight against gender-based violence is a high priority of the Government of Nikos Christodoulides and the Ministry of Justice and Public Order. "We recognise that violence against women is one of the most serious obstacles to achieving equality, progress and social cohesion. That is why we work systematically, on the basis of a strong legislative framework, with specialized institutions, programs, actions and policies that directly and effectively protect the victims of all forms of gender-based violence," he concludes.
A pan-European support line is coming
The Ministry of Justice and Public Order, through the National Coordinating Agency for the Prevention and Combating of Violence against Women, is planning to support the operation, at national level, of the pan-European telephone line 116 016, with the aim of providing telephone assistance and guidance to victims of all forms of gender-based and domestic violence.
An amount of €60,000 has already been earmarked in the Budget of the National Coordinating Body for the year 2026, while it is expected that all appropriate procedures will be promoted, with the aim of operating the line.
The Istanbul Convention provides, among other things, that every state must operate a free, 24-hour and confidential helpline for victims of gender-based and domestic violence, accessible to all victims of violence covered by the international treaty, without exception. The existence of such a hotline is considered to be of major importance, as it is intended to give victims an immediate and safe opportunity to communicate with the competent authorities, to provide them with adequate information about their rights, as well as about all available support and protection services.
Violence with cold numbers
According to police data, in 2022, 275 cases of domestic violence were reported, in 2023, women's complaints skyrocketed to 724, while in 2024 they amounted to 481.
For this year, a large number of complaints were submitted, but the exact numbers are not yet known.
