SHOCKING NUMBERS IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - A TOTAL OF 2,851 FEMALE VICTIMS HAVE BEEN ACCOMMODATED IN SPECIAL SPACES WITHIN THREE YEARS - Filenews 12/4 by Vassos Vassiliou
A total of 2,851 people have been accommodated over a period of about three years by the Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family (SPAVO), as shown by the Minister of Labor, Mr. Marinos Mousiouttas, to a question by the Member of Parliament for the Famagusta constituency, Mr. Giorgos Koukoumas.
According to the data cited by Mr. Mousiouttas, in the year 2022, 385 women have been accommodated in SPAVO accommodation facilities (with the financial contribution of the Deputy Ministry of Welfare) in Nicosia, 317 in Limassol and 110 women in Paphos.
In 2023, 523 women have been hosted in Nicosia, 347 in Limassol and 137 women in Paphos.
In 2024, 420 women have been hosted in Nicosia, 226 in Limassol and 127 in Paphos.
After all, in the first months of 2025, 132 women were hosted in Nicosia, 85 in Limassol and 42 in Paphos.
According to the Minister of Labour, "at this stage, due to an identified need for the operation of a program in the province of Larnaca, the Social Welfare Services (SWS) in cooperation with SPAVO, have promoted the required actions for the operation of a hospitality space in the province in question, which are expected to be completed within the first four months of 2026".
According to Mr. Mousiouttas, this SPAVO program will receive support under the State Aid Plan implemented by the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare and is expected to serve the province of Famagusta as well.
The minister informs Mr. Koukoumas that in order for new programs to receive state aid, the bodies are required to submit a Need Recording Study and a Sustainability Study.
It further assures that the Accommodation Facilities are a safe place of temporary accommodation for women and their children who are in immediate physical and psychological danger from people in their family environment. At the same time, counselling guidance and networking with the competent services are provided in the Accommodation Facilities.
Finally, the minister states that SPAVO, with the support of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare, in the context of the 2nd Swiss Contribution to reduce economic and social inequalities and to support measures in the field of migration for the Programming Period 2019-2029, is the implementing body of the Project "Preventing domestic violence and protecting victims", which includes the improvement and expansion of the Accommodation Facilities."
