An increase in complaints and incidents of gender-based and domestic violence, as well as the increasing complexity of the cases it manages, was recorded by the Association for the Prevention and Handling of Violence in the Family (SPAVO) during 2025, as reported during the Annual General Assembly of the Association.
Presenting the report of the activities for 2025, the President of the Board of Directors of SPAVO, Maria Chaviara Kousiou, expressed particular concern, stating that in about half of the cases managed by the Association (51%), an escalation of violence was recorded in recent months, which, as she said, highlights the need for early intervention and effective support for victims.
According to the data presented during the Annual General Assembly of SPAVO, psychological violence is recorded in all incidents managed by the Association, while 63% include physical violence, 23% financial violence, 13% mental violence and harassing surveillance, 8% sexual violence and 7% electronic violence. As pointed out, the various forms of violence often coexist and they are all accompanied by psychological violence.
In addition, the Association's Counselling Service served a total of 81 new cases in 2025, of which 98.8% concerned women and 1.2% men. The highest concentration of victims was recorded in the 35-45 age group (43.2%), followed by the 45-60 years old (24.7%) and 25-35 years old (23.5%).
As for the Woman's House, during 2025 a total of 374 cases were recorded, of which 153 involved new cases.
As noted, SPAVO operates 17 services and programs, while the 2025 data show an increase in both complaints and incidents, as well as greater complexity in the cases it is called upon to manage. At the same time, it was reported that during the year 5.728 calls were recorded to the National Helpline 1440.
As Ms. Kousiou said, numbers are necessary to understand the extent of the problem, however "our work is not measured only by statistics. It is measured in the women who were protected, in the children who felt safe again, in the families who regained perspective and in the people who found the strength to continue," she stressed.
€2 million for SPAVO programs in 2025
Representing the President of the Republic, the Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Klea Papaellina, stated in her speech that the SPAVO programs received state support of €2 million for 2025, noting that this is a "practical expression of confidence in the work being done". She added that the Government attaches particular importance to volunteering and non-governmental organizations active in the field of social care.
Ms. Papaellina described domestic and gender-based violence as "one of the most serious social problems of our time with a deep social impact", pointing out that one in five women suffers violence during their adult life.
The Deputy Minister underlined that national, European and international data demonstrate the seriousness of the phenomenon and its deep social impact, noting that according to relevant research, one in five women experiences physical violence at least once during their adult life, one in ten suffers sexual violence, while one in five experiences violence within the family. "These figures are not just numbers. They represent human lives and traumatic experiences that require our collective mobilization," he said.
As he pointed out, violence does not know social, economic, educational, age, religious or racial discrimination, but affects women and children from every social environment. "This is a flagrant violation of fundamental human rights, which can lead to serious injuries, cause long-lasting psychological and emotional consequences, and even the loss of human lives." He also added that the effects of violence are not limited to the direct victim, but extend to children who witness violent incidents, to other family members and to the wider society, negatively affecting social cohesion and the well-being of society.
Referring to the state response to the phenomenon, Ms. Papaellina said that the Social Welfare Services of the Deputy Ministry of Social Welfare are the central state pillar of protection, support and guidance of victims of gender-based and domestic violence, ensuring through the immediate detection, protection and management of incidents, as well as through the officers who perform the duties of family counsellors, early intervention and effective support for those in need.
The Scientific Director of SPAVO, Dr. Andria Andronikou, highlighted the importance of cooperation between services in dealing with domestic violence, noting that cooperation means shared responsibility, mutual respect, complementary action, so that each victim receives the protection, support and services they need in a timely manner. "When cooperation works, the victims, the families and society collectively always win. But when cooperation is absent, when there are gaps, delays or discontinuities, the only real losers are the victims who need us," she said.
On behalf of the Ministry of Justice, Aristos Tsiartas, Head of the Human Rights, Anti-Crime, Penitentiary Policy and Gender-Based Violence Sector, said that the Ministry works systematically with the pillars of the Istanbul Convention as a compass, adding that it invests in the education and training of the officials of the services involved. "We are investing in the training of frontline officers, in the design of activities and in the organization of seminars and training programs for the directors of the agencies involved and non-governmental organizations, as well as the professionals of the government, private and voluntary sectors who are related to and work to combat violence against women," he said.
Domestic violence requires strong cooperation with the state
The Commissioner for Administration and Protection of Human Rights, Maria Stylianou-Lottidou, described SPAVO as one of the most important support agencies for women and children experiencing violence, noting that, in addition to the immediate protection, counselling support and hospitality it provides, it contributes decisively to the formation of social awareness, public awareness and the highlighting of needs that must be taken into account in the design of state policies. She stressed that experience proves that dealing with gender-based and domestic violence requires strong partnerships between the state and civil society organizations, describing SPAVO as "a typical example of the essential role that the voluntary sector can play in the protection of human rights and in supporting vulnerable groups of the population".
For her part, the Commissioner for the Protection of Children's Rights, Elena Pericleous, highlighted the work of SPAVO to address and prevent gender-based and domestic violence, noting that gender-based and domestic violence does not only affect women who experience it but also deeply affects children living in such environments. She added that "even when they are not the direct victims, children are always victims of the violence that happens around them." She also stressed that "organizations such as SPAVO cannot rely solely on the zeal, dedication and resilience of their people", adding that the state must ensure conditions of sustainability, stable funding and long-term planning for organizations that perform critical functions of public interest".
The Commissioner for Gender Equality, Josie Christodoulou, described SPAVO as "one of the most important partners of the State in dealing with gender-based and domestic violence", underlining that "the root of the problem is culture and it is inequality between the two sexes", stressing that the cooperation of her Office with SPAVO in the framework of the National Strategy for Gender Equality and the National Mechanism for Women's Rights is based on the common goal the promotion of substantive gender equality, with the ultimate goal of eliminating all forms of violence.
Maria Kountouri Longinou, head of the Education, Enlightenment and Communication Branch of the Cyprus Police, said that in the last two years they have proceeded with information and awareness campaigns, "with the aim of encouraging victims to speak out, informing society and cultivating a culture of zero tolerance towards violence". She also assured that "the Cyprus Police will continue to work consistently and decisively, in close cooperation with SPAVO and all co-competent bodies for the prevention and effective treatment of domestic and gender-based violence.
The president of Accept-LGBTI Cyprus, Stefanos Evangelides, stressed the importance of protecting all victims of violence, with references to cases of violence due to sexual orientation and man's choices by family members, while he said that often home and family are not the same as safety for a person, but can be the first place in which a person will experience violence for the first time. He stressed the importance of protecting all victims of violence, with references to cases of violence due to sexual orientation and human choices by family members, while he said that often home and family are not the same as safety for a person, but can be the first place in which a person will experience violence for the first time.
CNA
