The Rise of Domestic Violence During the Coronavirus Epidemic

Domestic violence thrives in isolation.

The British publication The Guardian writes that due to closed borders, restrictions on movement within cities, closed businesses and layoffs, the level of violence in families and between couples will rise significantly. Governments around the world have pushed the solution of this problem into the background, focusing all their attention on fighting the coronavirus infection COVID-19, which poses a danger to both the elderly and young people.

However, long before this deadly epidemic appeared, another one had long reigned in the world: domestic violence. The scale of this epidemic has reached enormous proportions, and according to UN statistics, its death toll in 2017 was 50,000 women worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, one in three women suffers from domestic violence. Before the coronavirus pandemic, such people at least had the opportunity to leave, but now social distancing means being trapped with an abuser, with no way to escape.

United Kingdom

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson nevertheless decided to close restaurants, bars and schools when the death toll from the virus exceeded 150 people. And there is an interesting point here: schools are closed to everyone except the children of workers in key sectors, such as law enforcement, medical staff and utility workers. Specialists in domestic violence were excluded from this list; evidently, preventing abuse at home is not a vital task for British authorities.

As the Independent writes, as of March 2019 the number of women killed by their partners had increased by 10% over the year. Statistics show that the situation with domestic violence requires close attention from the government in peacetime as well, and does not tolerate shifting this issue to the back burner during a global crisis.

New Zealand

One can look at Britain's measures and think: but that is logical, the authorities have prioritized the fight against the coronavirus and cannot address all the consequences at once. However, alongside important decisions aimed at containing the spread of the disease, New Zealand's authorities announced that they are allocating 15 million dollars to support non-governmental organizations that help the most vulnerable categories of people, including those trying to escape domestic violence.

The competent decision of the New Zealand government shows that it is possible to keep human life and safety as a priority while continuing to take measures to fight the coronavirus.

India

Four men were sentenced to death and hanged for the brutal rape of a 23-year-old woman. The trial lasted 7 years. This case provoked an unprecedented public reaction: since the crime, people have taken to the streets in protest, demanding judicial reform and tougher punishment for criminals. All of this is explained by the fact that the situation with violence in India is appalling. According to CNN, every 16 minutes a sexual assault against a woman occurs in this country.

On March 24, India introduced a national quarantine: it closed its borders and banned people from leaving home in connection with the spread of the new coronavirus around the world, including in this country, where the number of deaths stood at 10 per 500 infected people at the time the national lockdown was announced. The question remains open: is it more frightening to die of a respiratory illness, or to find yourself locked inside your home with your abuser?

China

The country where the outbreak began in December closed its borders and ordered Chinese citizens to stay at home, with no possibility of leaving, to stop the rapid spread of the coronavirus. These measures have indeed yielded results: according to official data, the number of infected people stopped increasing tens of times daily, and mortality slowed. And all of this happened because people were stuck in their homes, not risking their lives.

However, the coronavirus has caused a large surge in domestic violence. According to Wan Fei, founder of a non-profit organization fighting domestic violence, the number of reports of domestic violence has almost doubled since travel between cities was banned. According to the organization, 90% of cases of violence are linked to the coronavirus epidemic. Wan believes that fear caused by the quarantine, as well as the economic strain on many families, has contributed to the rise in violence. 

The response from law enforcement is not reassuring. One woman posted an audio recording on a Chinese social network in which a police officer dissuades her from filing a domestic violence complaint.

“He has a very good job. You will ruin his life if you report him,” the officer can be heard saying. “Why do you believe his words about a threat to your life if he was drunk?”

A day later, police said the abuser would be detained for 5 days, and that a conversation had been held with this police officer.

However, amid this darkness, Chinese civil organizations that care are becoming a beacon of light. They publish special instructions explaining how to better protect oneself and, when necessary, urge people to seek legal assistance online.

Meanwhile, police detain people for not wearing medical masks on the street or for insulting lying doctors, while the inaction of law enforcement in cases of domestic violence is justified by the epidemic.

United States

In the US, organizations for victims of domestic abuse say that the number of calls to hotlines and demand for temporary housing have sharply increased due to the spread of the coronavirus. Some are worried about how they will obtain or extend restraining orders keeping abusers away from them, given limited access to courts. Others fear that the public health crisis will complicate their plans to leave the place where the violence occurs.

Abusers threaten to throw their victims onto the street so they catch the coronavirus, and deny them financial resources or medical care, the director of one hotline told Time. Having a shelter can be a lifeline for many women and their children.

So far, travel between states remains possible, but pressure from the public and the international community may force US President Donald Trump to impose a ban on free movement.

Fortunately, organizations continue to look for ways to help people suffering from domestic violence. Representatives of the UN organization UN Women have called on world governments to provide paid leave so that women can maintain financial independence from their abusers.

Ukraine

In 2019 in Ukraine, police received 142,000 reports of domestic violence. In Kyiv alone, from the start of 2020 until March 12, more than 6,000 statements were filed. As of late March, there are no restrictions on citizens' movement in the country, except in the city of Sumy. People can also leave their homes and travel between cities by their own transport, maintaining a safe distance to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection.

However, it is only a matter of time before stricter measures are introduced across the country. Already now, city authorities need to establish a response procedure for a more serious scenario for city residents. Currently, victims are temporarily placed in special shelters and abusers are sent to corrective programs, but the course of action under total movement restrictions, when the number of infected exceeds a certain threshold, remains unknown.

Based on the experience of other countries, one can assume that a hotline and online consultations will be available, since shelters for victims are critically scarce today. At present, the capital has only 2 shelters for victims of domestic violence.

While the attention of world governments is focused on the epidemic, victims of domestic violence remain one-on-one with their abusers. These people deserve more attention and help. Examples from certain countries show that the government can provide it. The only question is whether it wants to. Often the answer to that question is reflected in statistics, the increased number of cases of family violence under isolation, and the police's reaction to reports from those who did decide to seek help.

Polina Brazhnikova, TK Media