– Isolation, quarantine, inability to retire – even for people quite prosperous introduced because of the limitations of the pandemic has become a serious challenge. And what about those who serve “lockdown” comes with the household tyrant terrorizing his own family? International agencies, charities and activists are sounding the alarm because of the potential growth of domestic violence for many women and children is much worse than the virus they are close.
the world health organization recently stated that the number of emergency calls from women threatened or assaulted by your partner, increased in Europe by 60% compared to last year.
Director of the European office of the who Dr. Hans Kluge told the press: “Last month restrictive measures, for obvious reasons, gave rise to stress and anxiety. Social ties are broken, and insecurity and financial burden reinforced by the threat of job loss. For many, uncertainty, separation and fear have become part of everyday life.”
According to Dr. Clouse, who is deeply concerned about reports from European countries (including UK, France, Spain and Ireland) on the growth of violence against women and children.
At least 15 million cases of domestic violence more are expected this year in the world as a result of a pandemic restrictions, according to new data by the UN Fund for population (UNFPA).
UN Secretary-General antónio Guterres, stating “the terrifying global surge” of domestic violence, even had to make a frantic call to “cease fire” in families. The Secretary-General called “to put women’s safety first when responding to a pandemic”.
Seen that crises, pandemics, stress, financial turbulence, emergency situations lead to an increase in family violence. The current situation where people are forced to sit in a confined space for weeks, contemplating the same person, is all the more frightening.
As stated by the French Secretary for equality Marlene Chiappa; “the prison is a breeding ground for domestic violence”. If even during the Christmas holidays in Europe recorded more crimes in a close family circle, then what to talk about pandemies isolation, which is unknown when and to what end.
In some countries, the organizations fighting domestic violence have to deal with two – at least – problems. Because many social workers have to work from home, they can not be together with victims of violence. And when there is a need to bring people to a safe place, shelters are often not enough places.
a Leading British charity organizationstion to combat domestic violence Refuge recently reported a 700-percent increase in the number of calls to the helpline for one day. The ability to respond to these signals remains largely restricted: 84 per cent of service providers to combat domestic violence have been forced in one way or another to limit its activities.
meanwhile, activists are demanding that the vacant properties were transferred to the asylum for seeking to escape domestic tyrants.
recently, the UK government has pledged £ 76 million to support vulnerable people who were in the home “a nightmare.”
In the UK since restrictions were imposed because of Covid-19, the number of domestic crimes far exceeded the average for the time of year.
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the founder of the Counting Dead Women project, fixing of the murder of women by men in the UK, Karen Ingal Smith found at least 16 domestic murders in the period from 23 March to 12 April, including the killing of children.
“We can say that the number of women killed by men during the first three weeks from the date of blocking is highest in the last 11 years and two times more than the average 21 days for the last 10 years,” says the founder of the Counting Dead Women.
charities and campaigners against domestic violence reported an increase in the number of calls to hotlines and online services since the establishment in Britain of the quarantine.
“I don’t believe a coronavirus that produces violent people, says Karen Ingal Smith. – What we see, is a window into the levels of violence that women live all the time. Coronavirus may increase the triggers, although I would prefer to call it excuses. A lock can restrict access of some women to support them or the possibility of escape – and even may limit measures taken by some men to keep their attraction to violence under control.”
As the Financial Times, in a pandemic, when social distancing is required, and many people feel emotionally depleted, victims of abuse in their escape from violence is twice as hard. The release requires a tremendous amount of emotional and physical energy – not to mention money.
the Growth of family violence against the background of the pandemic is observed in Germany. At announced at the end of April, according to the Ministry for family Affairs, women and youth of Germany, for the week related to domestic conflict calls on the national telephone line “Violence against women” has increased by 17.5% compared to what it was two weeks earlier.
where there is a decrease in the number of calls for help, it is not necessarily a good sign. Many�� the victims are too scared to even apply for the fact that they happen. Or they just can’t find a safe way to do it.
In Germany, the specialists underline that for victims of domestic violence – mental or physical – the current situation means “continuous availability” for abuse by the perpetrator.
Yes, the decision to close schools, sports clubs and youth centers are important for curbing the spread of coronavirus, recognized head of the German Association for the protection of children Rainer Rettinger. But who now sees and hears the cruel treatment with children, he asks.
“For many, their home is no longer serves as a safe place,” warned the Federal Association women counselling centres and hotlines Germany (BFF). And caused by social isolation stress exacerbates tensions and increases the “risk of domestic and sexual violence against women and children.
in Addition to the stress due to the forced stay at home the probability of family conflicts increase and the fears of losing a job, and financial difficulties.
“This puts huge pressure on households”, – quotes the edition of The Local Florence Kloepfer, head of the Federation of parents in the Upper Rhine, the French region, severely affected by the pandemic. According to her, she has to hear stories about parents who break that can’t continue to sit in quarantine – and this happens in families that have previously had no problems.
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twenty-seven, Italian Lorena Karanta there was to be a doctor, but on March 30 she was gone. A young woman from Sicily had not died from the coronavirus, and at the hands of her boyfriend…
In Spain, which suffered almost as much like Italy by the epidemic this year by partners or ex-partners killed about twenty women and two cases occurred since the introduction of the 14 March in the country measures to block due to the coronavirus. So, a victim of his wife was a 35-year-old mother of two children.
women, who are forced to live in conditions of isolation under one roof with partners prone to violence, there is little chance to avoid problems.
during the first two weeks of April the number of calls to the hot line on issues of domestic violence in Spain increased by 47% compared to the same period last year. While the number of women accessing support via e-mail or social networks, has increased by 700%. But the number of complaints filed with the police has dropped dramatically.
the Problem is, says the founder of the Fund to combat gender-based violence Ana Bella, herself a survivor of abuse that in order to make a formal complaint, women need family support and people around them, and the isolation complicates this forthe country.
“But the biggest obstacle to reporting violence are emotional ties that we have with a criminal,” quoted Ana Bella Guardian. This is the only crime where the victim doesn’t want revenge, and just wants to live in peace. It is very difficult to tell the police about the father of your children. Many women feel guilty because they are going to send the father of my children in jail.”
Minister of internal Affairs of France, Christophe Castan on March 26 reported that after the adoption of quarantine measures police intervention in cases of family violence in Paris has increased by 36 percent.
as one of the measures to combat domestic violence affected women provided an opportunity to seek help at pharmacies, and the police instructed to be on high alert to domestic violence during the quarantine.
of the Pharmacy in the days of “lockdown” became a kind of saving havens for those suffering from family violence women not only in France.
After the Canary Islands in March my husband was murdered 78-year-old woman, developed a scheme to help women who are unable to get away from the abusive partner to seek help. A woman can just go to the pharmacy and ask for a face mask Mascarilla-19 – and the pharmacist then understands what the visitor is looking for help. This scheme was extended to other Spanish regions borrowed abroad (and in France just borrowed this Canarian experience).
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the Ex-President of France Francois Hollande argued recently in the pages of the Guardian on the subject of family violence. “There is the idea that it’s just a problem that affects the working class or immigrants, but it’s wrong. It happens in families of all types, he said. – For too long violence against women has been discarded because it was considered a part of the personal, the private, not the one that concerns society”.
the fact that Hollande has spoken out in support of a new application for smartphones, developed in France, but available in several other European countries. This app aims to help women victims of violence at home, at work or in public places.
the Artist and the activist-feminist of Variate N’diaye has received from the Fund Hollande grant in the amount of 200 thousand euros to work on this app.
“When we started this project five years ago, I wondered what else hasn’t this been done, says N’diaye. – I thought we can use the technology to send men to the moon, but I do not think how to use it to help women victims of violence.”
“Maybe because it’s not a business, – says the activist. – It’s not for��Abadiania money. For women who are victims of violence, it is a tool for discreet alerting anyone. We are often told that women can call the police if they are attacked, but they can’t. Often they just can’t speak freely, and do not have the ability to call. Now they will be able to warn someone, whom you trust to raise the alarm.”
App App-Elles allows women and girls to quietly report to the three trusted contacts if they are attacked, which allows, if necessary, call the police. Along with the GPS signal is recorded the attack in real time on the victim’s phone and her trusted contacts.
the App is free, but women can also purchase connected bracelet to raise the alarm, not using your phone tells The Guardian.
