PodcastDomestic violence cases spike 38 percent in March in Istanbul amid coronavirus, say police data
Cases of domestic disturbances and violence in Istanbul surged by 38.2 percent in March, compared to the same month of last year, according to police data. The city however saw a reduction in the number of robberies, murders, grand larcenies since there are little to no people on the streets amid the coronavirus outbreak.
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Istanbul saw a 38.2 percent increase in domestic violence reports in March, compared to the same month of last year, daily Sözcü reported on April 6, citing police data.
A total of 1,804 domestic violence cases occurred in March of 2019, whereas this figure increased to 2,493 in March of this year, according to official data.
Domestic abuse reports rise in Turkey during coronavirus self-isolationWomen organizations serving domestic violence victims had previously said that their helplines have had more calls since people began staying at home to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
TheNGOs had called on the government officials to remind the public thatdomestic violence victims will be protected no matter what thecurrent agenda of the country is.
The crime rates on the streets on the other hand plummeted in Istanbul, as the coronavirus pandemic drove millions of residents to stay inside their homes.
The mega-city saw 11,734 incidents of robberies, murders, grand larcenies during the period of January-March in 2019, whereas this figure fell to 9,085, marking a decrease of 22.6 percent, according to police data.