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Number of domestic violence complaints in Russia increased over two-fold since beginning of April

Source: RIA Novosti

According to data from nonprofit organizations (NPO), the number of domestic violence complaints in Russia has grown 2.5 times since April 10, the country’s Human Rights Commissioner Tatiana Moskalkova told RIA Novosti. 

“In Russia we use data that is presented by journalists, as well as representatives of NPOs. According to the NPOs’ data, since April 10 the number of victims of violence and cases of domestic violence has increased 2.5 times. So, according to this data, if in March there were 6,054 of these reports, then in April there were over 13,000 of them,” Moskalkova said.

The commissioner’s office has received similar appeals, but not in large numbers, Moskalkova claimed. She explained that this is due to victims being afraid and difficulties with communication.

“I think the problem here is communication. Mail might not work, and electronic media is not always convenient for someone who is a victim of domestic violence, because using a gadget to warn about violence is dangerous for them. We are carrying out media monitoring on this theme, and the picture is not optimistic,” Moskalkova noted.

Human rights defenders underscore that during the coronavirus lockdown, the level of domestic violence has increased, not only in Russia, but also in other countries around the world.

In April, Russian lawmakers Oksana Pushkina, Irina Rodina, and Olga Sevastyanova asked Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova to take urgent measures to protect victims of domestic violence during the coronavirus pandemic.

In self-isolation, victims are at risk of being trapped in an escalating cycle of domestic violence, the lawmakers warned. They also noted that the number of calls to the nationwide helpline for women grew 24 percent between February and March of this year, rising from 2,050 calls in February to 2,537 calls in March.

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